On 5 September Director Christa Meindersma presents two of the 2012 Prince Claus Laureates in the Prince Claus Fund Gallery: the Burmese comedian and activist Maung Thura, alias Zarganar and photo-activist Boniface Mwangi from Kenya. 

The presentation is attended by some 60 people and many of the attendees are Burmese. The presentation is followed by a public interview with Zarganar by Dutch journalist and Burma-specialist, Minka Nijhuis. 

During the interview, Zarganar discloses that he originally qualified as a dentist, but that he believes he can achieve more in society by being a comedian. After the bloody suppression of demonstrations in the seventies, he revitalizes the Burmese tradition of anyient and starts performing on television. 'When I perform somewhere, only a few people can attend. Through television I can reach millions. Everybody used my jokes to criticize the government'.  

Because of the sharp and political observations that characterize his jokes, Zarganar is sent to prison for a total of 11 years, 5 of which he spends in solitary confinement. He keeps his spirit alive by playing guitar with a rubber band, in order to withstand the continuous torturing. Zarganar is moderately optimistic about the political future of Burma: 'We can now work on reconciliation and live in peaceful coexistence. We have to build trust between the opposition and the government. However, we can’t do that alone, we have to work together with the regime'. 

Boniface Mwangi is a photojournalist and exemplary photo-activist. Please read more about his stay in the Netherlands here.