Cartoons That Speak a Thousand Words

Cartoons drawn by Harn Lay, The Irrawaddy magazine cartoonist, have been distributed in the run up to the election in the southern part of Rangoon by activists who launched an anti-election campaign, sources in Rangoon said.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy, a leading anti-election campaign activist in Rangoon said, “Many people are interested in these cartoon campaigns, even the children in the villages in the outskirts of Rangoon.” The campaigner said that people are more interested in the cartoon distribution campaign than other leaflet campaigns in the past.

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The campaigners downloaded Harn Lay’s cartoons from the Internet and printed them out, distributing them to villages in the southern part of Rangoon, including Kungyagone, Payargone, and Aung Chan Thar.

The activists are sticking copies of the cartoons on electric poles, video stages, free water services and other public places. The campaigners have also given copies to children telling them to pass them to their parents.

“Many children like the cartoons, laugh at them and ask for more,” said a leading campaigner.

Another youth activist said, “We are targeting the villages as we have already distributed these cartoons in the towns.”

Kyaw Zwa Moe, the managing editor of The Irrawaddy, said, “It’s part of our mission to get information about the upcoming election disseminated among people inside Burma. Through our cartoons and stories, I am sure that the voters are more informed and educated so that they will make a right choice regarding the election.”

Harn Lay received a Hellman/Hammett award in April for his illustrations and political cartoons that reflect the image of the Burmese regime and current political situation in Burma.