Rebel Riot Burma Punks: People Thinks Were Crazy Title: Burma Punks Reporter: Rebecca Henschke Intro:

Kyaw Kyaws (pron: Jo-Jo) parents worried that he had become a drug addict and his neighbors thought he had gone mad when this 2 year old Burmese youth dyed his hair blue! co"ered his body in tattoos and started wearing hea"y black boots! studded leather #ackets and $narchist t% shirts& In a country where most men still wear traditional dress! dressing punk style is an act o' rebellion& But 'or Kyaw Kyaw and his 'riends Punk is much more than a 'ashion statement(its their way o' 'ighting back against the military backed go"ernment! which took power in 2)*) in the wake o' what was widely considered a 'raudulent election& Rebecca Henschke spent a night with Kyaw Kyaw (& T+,T: -., */-0123%%% PR$4TI4I25 51IT$R(&& 6e are in the kitchen o' Rebel Riots one bedroom base camp(& Its nearly midnight and a risky time to be playing punk music(& .$3+ 1P K7$6: 89ale! +nglish: ;2ow this time is dangerous because its a "ery silent neighborhood(please please close the door&< Kyaw Kyaw tells the others to put more sheets o"er the metal drums and cymbals to try and mu''le the sound( They dont want to attract attention& Burma is rapidly changing and old censorship laws ha"e been rela=ed but no one is sure where the new boundaries are and what might land you in prison& -., 2/.$3+ 1P K7$6: >2ormally day is no problem but night a problem(< -T$RT T0 P?$7 91-I4((.$3+ 123+R Rebel Riots base camp is a one bedroom house in a suburban area o' Rangoon& *@ people li"e here communally& The walls are co"ered with drawing o' punk concerts(&mock hawked singers screaming into a microphone(in 'ront o' a wild crowd&

SONG FINISHES. In another track the lyrics are( A2o 'earB 2o indecisionB Rage against the system o' the oppressorsBA AResistanceBA 0n the wall is a picture o' democracy icon $ung -an -uu Kyi ne=t to the Russian group Pussy Riot& Kyaw clip *: 89ale! +nglish: ;3aw $ung san suu and punkB Pussy riot also a punk music band& 7ou know pussy bandC 'rom RussianC(so they arrest pussy riot and $ung -an -uu said 'ree them& -o we are "ery happy that $ung -an -uu Kyi thinking about punkB 6e "ery surprised a'ter the reading the news and we are "ery "ery thank%you $ung -an -uu kyi(&we are like a 'amily around the world worry 'or our community&< 6hile Burmas most 'amous 'ace might be thinking about punk(&the general public is not& Kyaw Kyaw estimates there are only 2)) punks in RangoonD and when they mo"ed into this area their neighbors were not impressed& Kyaw clip 2: 89ale! +nglish: ;Eery di''erent society because our society is "ery traditional rules they think that we are craFy& 6e are mad& 6e are little not good 4raFiness& They dont understand what they are& G& 6hen you 'irst heard punk music why did it a''ectC Kyaw answers in his mother tongue& Kyaw 4lip 2a: 89ale! Burmese: ;-ince I was young I wanted to be a radical person& I 'ound out that punk is radical music and completely opposite to traditional Burmese culture& G& 6hy do you think you always wanted to be a rebellious person where did that idea come 'romC ;PunkB 8?aughs: -ince I was in school I wanted to change the style o' society since I was in school& I didnt like the way people were lying to each other and I didnHt like the corruption and misuse o' o' money& I noticed that when I was young and I didnt like it& I want to change the style o' society and I choose punk in order to do that& Kyaw 4lip 2b: 89ale! +nglish: 6hat was the 'irst punk music that you heardC ;-e= pistol 8?aughs: 9y 'irst band was se= pistols( I heard the song $narchy in the 1K& G& How did you hear it on the radio or a 43C ;I 'ound a 3E3 on the streets and I was really happy(like a lottery winB 8laughs:<

Howe"er Kyaw Kyaws 'amily was not impressed& -., I/walking down to get 'ood( $s we walk down to a local 'ood stall to buy dinner 'or the group he starts to talk about his 'ather who is a police o''icer& Kyaw clip I: ;He is a police man but he is against the go"ernment& He doesnt want to support the go"ernment but he has no choice&< $t 'irst Kyaw Kyaw says his 'ather was "ery shocked about his punk li'estyle but a'ter he e=plained that he is working to impro"e society he understood and now they o'ten discuss politics (& Kyaw clip @a: ;-ometimes we are the same "iew& 6hat he want& 6hat I want& G& $nd now is he proud o' youC 2ot really proud 8laughs: 2ot proud because on one side he always worry& 6orry 'or me( because I sometimes going to demonstration on the street(here demonstrations 'or people "ery dangerous so he worries 'or me&< Kyaw Kyaw 'ounded Rebel Riot in 2))J(&when the military #unta cracked down on the so% called A-a''ron Re"olutionA launched by Buddhist monks& Thousands o' anti%go"ernment demonstrators were arrested then! and soldiers were ordered to shoot upon their own people& He is not impressed by the countryHs recent trans'er o' power to a ci"il go"ernment a'ter almost 'i"e decades o' military rule& Because he says the new go"ernment is mostly made up o' members o' the 'ormer ruling #unta! Kyaw K: 8male! Burmese: ;.irstly democracy is eLual to capitalism& $lso the 4hange is #ust a change in words not a real change(& The gap between the rich and poor is widening and there is much to do on this 'ront and I dont think the name changes at the go"ernment le"el will or are doing anything about this&< They spread their political "iews through clothes sold at their street stall(&& -., @/-0123- 0. 91-I4(&$23 TR$..I4(& ?IE+ ?I2K: Its si= oclock and the sun is setting and we are in the centre o' 7angon at a busy cross section under a o"erpass( a makeshi't shop is being set%up by three members o' the group Rebel Riot band&& The sign abo"e the shop says >Resist! 3&I&7 do it yoursel' or die! no masters!

no gods& This is what the members o' Rebel Riot do each a'ternoon(they set%up this shop that sells t%shirts with lots o' studs and skulls on them! stencils and patches and piercings( -., K/91-I4 $T TH+ -H0P -ome nights a'ter they packed up the shop they hand out 'ood parcels to homeless people& Kyaw clip : 8+nglish: ;6e always see e"eryday many poor people(homeless people! street kids and we thinking what we can share& 6e #ust say this is 'or you dinner& G& 6hat do they think these punk people gi"ing them 'oodC 8?aughs: ;2o! they dont care what we are& They say >thank%you we are "ery hungry& They dont care what we look like they #ust hungry&< G& $nd how to do guys sur"i"e D how do you make enough money to eatC ;6e in"ite and share 'rom our shop income but sometimes we ha"e nothing to eat Dso we are hungry sometimes( we not enough money sometimes&< -., J/-0123- 0. TH+9 I2 TH+ KIT4H+2(& He says his parents o'ten check on him and bring him 'ood parcels telling him to eat more because he is too thin& They also worry about me getting bitten by mosLues here at night he says(& They lo"e me "ery much& .or $sia 4alling this is Rebecca Henschke in Rangoon&