Zarganar is an outspoken critic of Myanmar’s military government. He was arrested on 4 June 2008 for his public criticism of the government’s response to the humanitarian crisis that emerged in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.
Despite assurances from the authorities that private donors would be given free access to cyclone affected areas, Zarganar and at least 21 others were later arrested for their participation in the voluntary aid effort.
Initiatives to release Zarganar
Since his imprisonment, English PEN, Index on Censorship and other United Kingdom’s human rights organisations have campaigned for Zarganar’s release. A rally in Trafalgar Square and ‘poetry protests’ at the Burmese Embassy in London were organised.
A consortium of human rights and freedom of expression advocates includin
g Index on Censorship had been launched The Free Zarganar Campaign. Its goal was to mobilise public opinion and win his immediate release.
English PEN activists have sent thousands of letters and cards to Zarganar during his imprisonment, and the organisation co-hosted the first ever Burmese Arts Festival in 2010 at which Zarganar’s work was featured.
In 2009 the inaugural PEN Pinter Prize for an International Writer of Courage was awarded to Zarganar by the poet Tony Harrison.
Zarganar thanks everyone for support
In the conversation with his friend, the painter and performance artist Htein Lin who managed to talk to Zarganar shortly after his release, he asked Htein Lin, to thank everyone throughout Europe who had been working on the Free Zarganar Campaign, and organisations like Equity, PEN, Index on Censorship, Amnesty, Freemuse, the Bremen Solidarity Prize, Prix de Droits de l’Homme, and Freedom to Create who had recognised him and other prisoners in Burma.
He told Htein Lin he was looking forward to renewing acquaintance with director Rex Bloomstein who made the documentary “This Prison Where I Live” and meeting – at least virtually – his fellow comedian Michael Mittermeier for the first time.
They should never have been in prison
Salil Tripathi, a trustee of English PEN and chair of its Writers in Prison C
ommittee, said:
”We are delighted by the release of Zarganar and others who had been imprisoned in Burma because of what they had written or said. They should never have been in prison in the first place. However, this prisoner amnesty does not appear to be linked to any long term political reform in Burma. The British Government, the international community, and companies that do business with the Burmese regime must now demand measures to protect free expression and human rights.”
Join the protest
On 21 October English PEN and the Free Burma VJ campaign will be holding another poetry protest in London, as part of a worldwide reading of Burma’s silenced poets.
Readers, writers and activists including the poet Ruth Padel will gather outside the Burmese Embassy at 19a Charles Street, London W1J 5DX at12 midday on Friday 21st October 2011. For more information, please click here.
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