They have completely different styles, but they are bound by a common goal — a free Burma. “Even if we don’t see the riverbank, we still have to swim to reach the other side,” murmurs Burmese cartoonist-in-exile Harn Lay. While he does not see the light at the end of the tunnel for his country, he is still hopeful.

This is a sentiment shared by New York-based Win Tun who believes he will one day be reunited with his family in Burma. The works of the two cartoonists, being shown in a month-long exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) in Bangkok, are aimed at creating awareness about the plight of their country under military rule.

Harn Lay was in his early 20s when the pro-democracy uprising against the military in 1988 took place, sending thousands into exile. The crisis ended with a bloody military crackdown which left scores injured, or jailed. Harn Lay never imagined that he would eventually move on from illustrating cinema billboards to witty, funny yet blunt portrayals of reality.

One of his memorable cartoons is that of Burmese leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe holding a birthday cake with candles that completely shut in detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the National League for Democracy party whose victory in the 1990 election was never recognised by the military.

In stark contrast is Win Tun’s style — the more familiar black-and- white, traditional cartoon. Popularly known as ‘Mr Burma’ after the English-language daily Bangkok Post published his first cartoon outside Burma, 53-year-old Win Tun was a freelance cartoonist. After receiving warnings from the government for his cartoons’ anti-establishment content, he went into exile in 1990 and drew under the ‘Mr Burma’ pseudonym. When the Burmese government discovered his true identity, Win Tun was blacklisted. In 1995, he and his wife fled to the US.

Like Win Tun, Harn Lay takes these threats in his stride. For Harn Lay, being free to express himself as an artist is like a breath of fresh air. Win Tun, meanwhile, says everything is fine where they are. Both believe that cartoons are powerful means of delivering a message to the world.

Explains Win Tun: “Cartoons are a very effective and peaceful method to point out the mistakes of people.” Harn Lay is aware of this medium’s power and says that his and his colleagues’ cartoons somehow find their way to Burma.

Harn Lay’s best piece may even have reached the hands of the junta’s highest officials. This cartoon, a satire on the Burmese government’s dam projects, shows a military official gloating over the new sources of electricity, but holding a fan in his hand in a room that has a light bulb that does not work.

Asked why the dream of a free Burma has been elusive, Win Tun says Burma a needs “new kind of medicine”, especially when treating a “disease” like the Army.

Harn Lay says it does not help that many countries still maintain close ties with the junta-led government because this legitimises their rule. “The regime is supported by neighbouring countries through trade and business, which makes it hard for pro-democracy groups campaigning for a free Burma.’’

Commenting on the UN Security Council’s initiative to open discussions about Burma, Win Tun says, “The UN can do so many things if they really want to.” — IPS