Myanmar (former Burma)

2 January 2000

Myanmar/Burma: ‘Will censorship of music end?’ asks BBC reporter in Rangoon

BBC News’ Jonah Fisher has interviewed Ye Ngwe Soe, lead-singer of the punk band No U Turn, one of the best-known acts on the Rangoon punk scene.

13 April 2012

Myanmar/Burma: Musician Win Maw released

Win Maw, one of Burma’s most famous musicians, is reported to have been released from Kyaukphyu Prison in Arakan State on 13 January 2012 at 13:40 pm local time

13 January 2012

Darko C

Video interview with Darko C from Rangoon about the loosening censorship controls over media and the arts, produced by Voice of America on 12 January 2012

13 January 2012

Myanmar/Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi congratulates Freedom to Create Prize winner

A specially recorded congratulatory message for Win Maw from Burma’s pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi

20 November 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Win Maw receives Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artist Prize

Burma’s famous musician and human rights activist Win Maw received the 2011 Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artist Prize in absentia

19 November 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Awareness concert and award nomination for imprisoned singer

Concert event on 26 November 2011 in Thailand for Win Maw, imprisoned in Burma since 2008, and now shortlisted for the Freedom to Create Prize

16 November 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Authorities release political detainees in an amnesty

The popular satirist Zarganar is among dozens of political prisoners who have been released on 12 October 2011 as part of a wider amnesty. No news yet about Win Maw

12 October 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Zayar Thaw barred from singing at a live concert

Zayar Thaw, a famous hip hop singer, was barred by Mingla Taung Nyunt township authorities from singing at a live concert in Rangoon, reported The Irrawaddy

08 August 2011

Myanmar/Burma: New censorship restrictions on traditional dance troupes

In order to weed out vulgar jokes about government officials, all Burmese traditional dance troupes are required to perform a full-dress rehearsal in front of a censorship board

14 July 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Interviews with rapper Thaw after his release from prison

The Burmese rapper Zayar Thaw is ‘hot news’ after he was released from prison. Two exiled Burmese news agencies have published interviews with him

27 May 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Hip-hop star given amnesty after three years in prison

Zayar Thaw, a prominent hip hop artist and member of the outlawed Generation Wave youth activist group, has been released after to and a half years in prison

19 May 2011

Music Freedom Day: Local ownership creates diversity of innovative events

Music Freedom Day 2011: An exiled DJ returns to Kabul, music is smuggled out from Burma, and Freemuse hands over an award to an imprisoned singer in Cameroon

09 March 2011

Myanmar/Burma: New Win Maw songs smuggled out of Burma

The singer and human rights activist Win Maw continues his struggle for freedom of expression from the prison. Freemuse received three new songs from him.

16 February 2011

Generation Wave

Audio interview with Generation Wave – a group of Burmese hip-hop artists and activists – about freedom of expression and censorship among musicians in their country

11 February 2011

Myanmar/Burma: Music a vehicle for significant dissent

Nine out of 12 songs on Thxa Soe’s most recent album were banned by Burma’s censorship board. Interview with Thxa Soe in the British newspaper The Guardian

26 April 2010

Myanmar/Burma: Exiled musicians publish album of protest songs

A new album of satire, poetry and music produced by Burmese activists living in exile in India is aired around the world and smuggled into Burma

19 April 2010

Myanmar/Burma: Hip hop musician’s third year in prison

Burma’s popular hip-hop artist Zayar Thaw serves his third year under detention in a prison at Kawthaung

07 April 2010

Myanmar/Burma: Ban on Western musical instruments

Burma’s Ministry of Culture has ordered the country’s traditional Saing orchestras not to use Western musical instruments

06 January 2010

Myanmar/Burma: Two musicians arrested, another released after torture

Singer Nyi Paing and songwriter Min Satta have reportedly been arrested by Burmese authorities, while the singer Htoo Htoo Chay has been released after torture

16 November 2009

Myanmar/Burma: Hip-hop artist released from prison

On 6 January 2009, the Burmese military junta authorities released popular hip-hop singer Yan Yan Chan, who was arrested in April 2008

12 January 2009

Myanmar/Burma: Hip-hop performer sentenced to six years in prison

Hip-hop star Zayar Thaw was sentenced to six years imprisonment by a Rangoon court on 20 November 2008 for his involvement in anti-regime protests

21 November 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Musican Win Maw sentenced to six years in prison

Musician Win Maw received a sentence of six years imprisonment by a closed court in Rangoon’s Insein Prison on 11 November 2008, relatives reported

14 November 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Introduction to Burma’s dangerous hip-hop scene

An animated video by Scott Bateman and Edith Mirante.

12 August 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Interview with exiled musician Mun Awng

Mun Awng is a musician who left Burma to make music freely and in hope of improving the political situation in his country

01 July 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Musician Win Maw arrested

International PEN calls for immediate release of Burmese musician Win Maw, arrested in November 2007 and is said to be seriously ill as a result of torture in detention.

15 May 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Musicians are being arrested

Two members of the controversial – and popular – Burmese hip-hop group Acid have been arrested, along with the lead guitarist in Shwe Thansin group

30 April 2008

Campaign: Urge for immediate release of Burmese musician

Freemuse joins campaign supporting Win Maw, arrested on 27 November 2007. His arrest is thought to be part of the wider crackdown on pro-democracy activists.

25 April 2008

Myanmar/Burma: Flow of secret music files

Exiled Burmese musicians develop alternative communication channels, and their music is being smuggled across borders and distributed secretly within Burma via the internet

27 September 2007

Myanmar/Burma: Musical satire banned by authorities

Authorities have banned a video compact disc depicting a traditional performance on the grounds that some of the content is critical of the military government

30 November 2006

Myanmar/Burma: Music under siege

Music provides a rallying point for the masses during political upheavals in Burma. An excerpt from the book ‘Shoot the Singer’: Chapter 6

28 October 2005

Aung Zaw: Music censorship in Myanmar / Burma

Video interview with journalist Aung Zaw about music censorship in Myanmar/Burma. Recorded in April 2004

26 October 2004

Myanmar/Burma: Conscripted for Karaoke

Promoting the Burmese governments National Convention, three famous singers are singing a jingle on tv — but news indicate that they were conscripted into singing and possibly blackmailed by authorities

14 June 2004

Shoot the Singer! Book

‘Shoot the Singer! Music Censorship Today’ is the first worldwide presentation of contemporary cases of music censorship

25 May 2004