In a blatant act of vindictiveness, a wedding advertisement for prominent movie actor Kyaw Thu's daughter has been banned by the Burmese military junta's censorship board, allegedly for the actor's involvement in the monk-led protests in September.
The censorship board has stopped the inclusion of the wedding advertisement of actor Kyaw Thu's only daughter Myint Mo Oo in any of the newspapers in Burma. Myint Mo Oo, who is living in Australia, will wed Kyaw Ko Ko in Sydney on December 16, 2007.
"As for me I have been banned from all my work like acting or directing. And my name cannot be published in any of the journals or newspapers. Even to advertise my daughter's wedding I cannot include my name," actor Kyaw Thu told Mizzima.
During a rare press briefing held at Burma's new jungle capital, Nay Pyi Taw, the Burmese Information Minister Brig. Gen Kyaw San described artists and litterateurs who participated in the September monk-led protests, as 'those lacking patriotism'.
"I don't understand what they [the junta] mean and I don't know what they want to refer to," Kyaw Thu said.
"We did not do it just because others were doing it. We all joined out of our own free will. Ko Thura [comedian Zargarnar] also joined on his own and I did the same. But since we had the same intention, we met and it comes out that Kyaw Thu and Zargarnar joined hands," added the Burmese film academy award winning actor.
The Burmese actor along with several other artists, poets and litterateurs during the protests in September offered 'Swan', food offerings, to the protesting monks at Burma's most revered Pagoda of Shwe Dagon.
Following the protests and the junta's brutal crackdown, authorities arrested Kyaw Thu, Zargarnar and several other artists as well as politicians and activists. However, the junta later released Kyaw Thu and Zargarnar after detaining them for three weeks.
The junta, in its effort to punish the artists, has banned all works of artists who took part in the protests. More than 20 of Kyaw Thu's films are currently banned from being released in theatres.
Similarly, comedian and actor Zargarnar is also banned from performing on stage while writer Than Myint Aung is barred from using her pseudonym and writing for newspapers.
