Burma bans comedian show in Mandalay

The comedy acts had been organised by one of Burma's most famous comedians, the blacklisted Par Par Lay, whose familybased Moustache Brothers Troupe lives next to the monastery in Block 520 of Kone Win Ward in Maha Aung Myay township.

The monastery's organising committee had earlier been given permission by the authorities to stage musical and comedy acts on July 29, to mark the completion of the renovations. Fourteen leading Mandalay comedians had volunteered to perform and posters advertising the show had been put up around the city.

"The comedians wanted to perform in Par Par Lay's neighbourhood, because he himself is not permitted to do so," said one unnamed observer.

Although Par Par Lay and the Moustache Brothers were not performing, the authorities told the organising committee the night before the show that permission for the comedy acts had been withdrawn. However, they said, the musicians could still perform.

"Thousands of people turned up only to discover that the comedy acts were off the bill," the observer said. "The ban was clearly because of Par Par Lay's involvement, and people were very angry. Why do the authorities fear Par Par Lay so much?"

Par Par Lay and fellow Moustache Brother, Lu Zaw, were given a sevenyear jail sentence in 1996 after telling jokes about Burma's military regime at a function held in the compound of National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's home in Rangoon.

Par Par Lay and Lu Zaw were released in 2001, but the troupe has been banned from performing in public places and supports itself with nightly shows for tourists at their home in Mandalay.