Burmese cultural performance for the Burmese New Year Festival

Kyaw Thein Kha

24th April, 2009

This year’s celebration for the Burmese New Year Festival was held at the Ti
Tit rubber plantation, Khao Kloi village, in the Ta Kuahtone Township,
Phang Nga Provence, of southern Thailand. Thee Lay Thee, the famous
Burmese cultural performance group, performed this year for the Burmese
migrant workers.

Thee Lay Thee was originally organized by the high profile comedian, Zaganar, who had recently been
sentenced for long term imprisonment for helping Nargis victims of Burma. The group consists of five
comedians, Gawzilar, Sein Thee, Pan Thee, Kyal Thee, Zee Thee and two lady dancers, Chaw Su Myo and Mya
Sabai Nogne. Their first performance was presented in Hmyaw Sin Kyun in Rangoon, Burma in 2007. After
their first performance, they became famous among Burmese audiences because of their powerful and
entertaining act. Due to the somewhat politically motivated content of their show, the VCD that was filmed at
their first performance has been banned to inside Burma.

Thee Lay Thee has recently been on tour, performing all over the world in countries that have invited them such
as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and United States.

Mr. Htoo Chit, the director of GHRE and the programme organizer for the celebration, said, “We want the
Burmese migrant workers here, in South Thailand, to have fun and to be able to enjoy the New Year festival.
We want them to be happy and free to celebrate the New Year like the other Burmese people around the world.
That’s the primary reason for organizing such an event.”

Pan Thee, one of the comedians from the group, said, “To be able to act and express my feelings of joy and to
be able to freely celebrate this way is so wonderful. We really miss the water festivals of Mandalay, Yangon
and other townships inside Burma around the New Year and now we have had the chance to perform for our
Burmese people in the New Year festival here in Thailand. Our performance here so close to home, allows us to
truly enjoy everything we are missing about Burma and our people.”

Kyal Thee, another comedian from the group, said, “I’m so happy to be able to present our cultural performance
to our people. I feel as if I am performing for all our parents, relatives and friends who are away from Burma.
I’m proud of our performance.”

A Burmese migrant worker who came to see the show said, “I’m so happy to be able to see the Burmese
cultural performance during New Year festival. We, the migrant workers, come to support them when they
come to perform. Their political jokes aimed to shoot down the regime are really meaningful and powerful to
us.” The cultural performance began at 7 pm and ended at 11 pm. Over 300 Burmese migrant workers came to
see the show this year. The performance also included Burmese New Year festival songs, Burmese cultural
puppet show, couples dancing and of course the comedy show hosted by the four comedians.

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