Burmese rapper arrested for criticizing junta

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A popular rapper in Myanmar who criticized the junta for massive power cuts has been arrested for “spreading propaganda”, the military said, the latest arrest in a sweeping crackdown on dissent.

Byu Har posted a video on Facebook to his hundreds of thousands of followers on Tuesday criticizing the junta for the power cuts that have hit Myanmar in recent weeks.

He mocked junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and said the power supply had been better managed under the rule of deposed civilian leader and democracy figurehead Aung San Suu Kyi.

Byu Har was arrested for “incitement with the aim of disturbing the peace and stability of the nation, and the act of disseminating propaganda”, the army information team said in a statement on Sunday.

He did not say whether he had been charged or where he was being held.

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Byu Har is the son of prominent composer Naing Myanmar, whose song “Kabar Ma Kyay Buu” was widely sung during protests against the February 2021 military coup.

Byu Har regularly posts videos shirtless and strumming a guitar.

Power outages are common in Myanmar due to a creaky and outdated power grid, with demand regularly outstripping supply during the sweltering summer months.

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The junta blamed the worsening blackouts on rising gas prices and attacks on infrastructure by anti-coup fighters.

Power cuts compounded the economic misery caused by the military coup.

The junta has arrested tens of thousands of people in its crackdown on dissent since taking power, according to a local watchdog group, including dozens of artists and celebrities.

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Two prominent models were arrested last year for “undermining culture and dignity” after posting clips on intimate video hosting platform OnlyFans.

The coup sparked new clashes between the military and ethnic rebel groups and spawned dozens of “People’s Defense Forces” now fighting across Myanmar.

More than a million people have been displaced by the violence, according to the United Nations.

Suu Kyi was imprisoned by the junta for 33 years in December after a closed trial described as a sham by rights groups.

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