A striking sight has become visible on the streets of Myanmar’s capital, Yangon: punks, sporting mohawks and studded leather jackets, with skull and crossbones tattoos on the backs of their hands. It is not fashion nostalgia but political - as many of the original punks were.
Myanmar’s young punks are expressing anger that the country’s newly found economic boom is leaving them behind.
It’s ”young people feeling there is no future for themselves,” says Dr. Jonathan Bogais of the University of Sydney, who lectures on southeast Asian and pacific affairs. “They see a growing gap between rich and poor, they see wealth building up which they believe will never benefit them." He adds, “They feel they cannot demonstrate freely. So punk is an expression of rebellion and anger … what you hear time and time again in the music is the word ‘resistance’”.
A confirmation that borders do not confine the spread of ideas and cultures.
Myanmar’s young punks are expressing anger that the country’s newly found economic boom is leaving them behind.
It’s ”young people feeling there is no future for themselves,” says Dr. Jonathan Bogais of the University of Sydney, who lectures on southeast Asian and pacific affairs. “They see a growing gap between rich and poor, they see wealth building up which they believe will never benefit them." He adds, “They feel they cannot demonstrate freely. So punk is an expression of rebellion and anger … what you hear time and time again in the music is the word ‘resistance’”.
A confirmation that borders do not confine the spread of ideas and cultures.
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