Thee Lay Thee Show a Smash in Chiang Mai

Burma’s well-known a-nyeint comedy troupe, Thee Lay Thee & Say Young Sone, lightened the hearts of the Burmese community in a performance at Chiang Mai University on Saturday.

[Photo: Moe Kyaw/The Irrawaddy]

Thee Lay Thee a-nyeint is known in Burma for cracking jokes and performing satirical skits about the Burmese junta. A comedy video of their show has been banned by Burmese authorities.

In November, the comedians performed at Rangoon’s Kandawgyi lake, and some military officials, including intelligence personnel, reportedly attended and enjoyed the show.

One of the best moments in the Chiang Mai show came when Thee Lay Thee sang a song in honor of the Burmese independence hero Aung San, wearing Aung San T-shirts.

Most Burmese had not heard the song performed in public since the 1988 military coup. Aung San has become a symbol of the dissident movement and wearing an Aung San T-shirt is now a form of civil disobedience in military-ruled Burma. 

Thee Lay Thee, made up of four comedians and two female dancers, performs with the well-known comedian Godzilla on their current international tour.

The comedians broke up the audience with their political skits.

In one, Asean leaders are on a boat trip around the Singapore harbor during the November summit. The Singaporean prime minister distributes Singapore-made chocolate to the other nine leaders. Then he throws the chocolate into the water, to the shock of the other leaders.

“Never mind!” he says. “There’s lots of chocolate in Singapore.” 

Then the Malaysian leader gives cheese made in Malaysia to the leaders. Then he throws the cheese into the water, saying there’s lots of cheese in Malaysia.

Not to be outdone, the Burmese Prime Minister, Thein Sein, summons a general. When the general arrives Thein Sein kicks him into water.

“Don’t worry! We have a lot of generals in Burma!” he says.

In another joke, a comedian takes a tour of Naypyidaw conducted by the junta’s head, Snr-Gen Than Shwe. In Than Shwe’s palace, he sees the floors are made of jade. Than Shwe says it’s ok, he can walk on the jade floor. Then the comedian sees Than Shwe’s chairs are covered with gem stones.

“Don’t worry, you can sit on the rubies,” says Than Shwe.

Than Shwe then says that if the junta can rule Burma for 10 more years, all Burmese homes will be filled with jade and rubies.

Exasperated, the comic shouts, “Who’s the comedian here?” 

The comedians also poked fun at neighboring countries, which buy billions of dollars in natural gas annually, but the countries are still short of electricity.

In another skit, a member of the security forces asks, “Who can chant the “Metta Sutta” (on loving kindness)?"

“If you can, go and sit in the truck,” he says, recalling the roundup of Buddhist monks during the pro-democracy uprising. 

Godzilla told the audience that jokes are really the voice of the people—they come from real events on the streets of Burma.

“We [comedians] just have to listen to the voice of the people, and then we reflect on their lives,” he said.

Ko Htut, an audience member, told The Irrawaddy the comedy troupe showed great courage in cracking political jokes, because they could go to prison in Burma.

“I have not seen this kind of a-nyeint show for more than ten years,” he said.

A Burmese migrant worker who lives in Chiang Mai said Thee Lay Thee members were comedians, but they tell the truth.

“They don’t lie,” he said.