Offensive Really Does Describe Latest Anti-Regime Campaign

Violet Cho
The Irrawaddy News
www.irrawaddy.org
January 29, 2008

Burma’s top general on parade—but with his pants around his knees. Or inspecting his troops from the back of a hearse. Or hobnobbing with Osama Bin Laden. These are some of the satirical pictures launched on the Internet in a new offensive against the regime.

And this campaign is truly offensive—one picture superimposes the face of the regime leader, Snr-Gen Than Shwe, on the amply-endowed body of a lightly-clad bimbo, her legs spread for the camera.

The pictures are the work of an unknown satirist who goes by the name of Mr Creator. He’s certainly creating fun and havoc in Burma, where copies of the cartoons downloaded from the Internet are clandestinely changing hands in tea shops and any place where regime critics gather.

“This is real psychological warfare,” grinned one Rangoon resident. “Mr Creator should be encouraged to continue his work.”

“This kind of satire is a really practical way to get the message across,” said one young man as he distributed copies of the cartoons.

Mr Creator is also up with the news—one picture has him embracing a giant bottle of rum next to a poster advertising the latest Rambo film, which is set mostly in Burma.

Than Shwe is identified as “Rum Bo”—“rum” standing for alcohol and “bo” meaning bully. Together, they stand as a metaphor for Than Shwe.

Mr Creator’s satirical sally follows a similar Internet poster campaign this month named
Chee Lay Chee & Kwey Young Sone, after the a-nyeint traditional comedy troupe Thee Lay Thee & Say Young Son.

The Burmese word Chee can mean something rather disgusting. Lay means four. Put the words together and add mug shots of the four generals who rule Burma and what do you have? Four disgusting objects. Complicated, scatological—but clever.