Burmese artwork in the time of pandemic

Freedom of expression has long been a battle ground in Myanmar, from the dark days of the military dictatorship to the recent and tentative openings seen in the last decade. These freedoms can be expressed (and suppressed) in any number of mediums, from written or oral discussions to film and music to artwork and imagery. The past year has seen a number of somewhat provocative pieces, from an artwork installation depicting monks as skeletons, to a piece of environmental activism highlighting the decreasing air quality of Yangon in which the Buddha was shown wearing a gas mask, to a brilliant movie made several years ago showing rural life at a small monastery in southern Myanmar which to date has never been released anywhere in the world. Yet rather than debate and think critically about such works of art which challenge the viewer in uncomfortable ways, the response has instead been a demand for total and immediate censorship, along with calls for punishment towards the artist. Ironically enough, this has come not from upper governmental figures, but from a vocal majority of online Burmese.

Add to this list the mural that appeared in Myitkyina as fears about the coronavirus began to pick up. The art piece implores residents to “Stay at home, save lives,” and pleads “Coronavirus, Find it early! We fight together.” The imagery is much more jarring, as a grim reaper-esque figure sets loose coronavirus-like monsters from what appears to be a begging bowl, as doctors and residents try to save the world, all with the Burmese flag as a backdrop. “The entire world including the rich and poor countries are confronted by the coronavirus. As a poor country, everyone here is responsible to prevent the disease,” one of the artists, Zayar Hnaung, told Myitkyina News Journal. Elsewhere, he explains his artwork further: ““The lord of death is spreading coronavirus to exterminate humanity. Some countries are being consumed by the disease. In this situation, doctors, nurses, and civil societies are pulling us from the virus.”

According to MSN, “ Some went so far as to push a conspiracy theory that the main artist was a pastor from a prominent Kachin Church on a mission to attack Buddhism. The artist said the mural was meant to educate the public about the threat posed by the outbreak.” After the controversy, he later apologized for his work.

The reaction? Immediate anger on social media about the artwork and death threats directed at the three artists, with many demanding action, which was soon granted. On April 3rd, the artists (Zayar Hnaung, Ja Sai, and Naw Htun Aung) were arrested for violating a stature (Article 295A) that “insults” religion, despite official condemnations by Human Rights Watch. The mural was then immediately whitewashed so that the offending piece may disappear forever.