Ces dessins qui, sur le Net, défient le pouvoir malaisien

Report in French online newspaper - Le Monde

Reference : http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2012/03/02/ces-dessins-qui-sur-le-net-defient-le-pouvoir-malaisien_1651046_3246.html

 

En Malaisie, le caricaturiste Zunar n'a aucun accès aux médias traditionnels, mais ses dessins, censurés car ils dénoncent la corruption et le népotisme d'un régime au pouvoir depuis près d'un demi-siècle, trouvent asile sur le Net et les réseaux sociaux. De passage à Paris à l'invitation de Reporters sans frontières, ce quinquagénaire volubile, de son vrai nom Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, sort de sa sacoche des dizaines et des dizaines de reproductions de ses oeuvres. Ce sont ses "munitions", car, souligne-t-il, la caricature "est une arme", ce qui lui vaut d'ailleurs d'être sous la menace d'une peine de prison de trois ans pour sédition.

 

 

L'une de ses cibles favorites est Rosmah, la femme du premier ministre malaisien,Najib Razak, "une femme très puissante, plus puissante que son mari". L'affaire des sous-marins Scorpène vendus par la France à la Fédération malaise, avec des soupçons de versement d'une commission occulte, a également nourri son inspiration. Pour la technique, cet étudiant en sciences, formé sur le tas, s'est inspiré des caricaturistes américains.

A la fin des années 1990, l'affaire Anwar Ibrahim - vice-premier ministre qui s'était opposé à l'homme fort de l'époque, Mahathir Ibn Mohamad, déclenchant une crise politique - l'a engagé définitivement sur la voie de la caricature sans concession, une rareté en Malaisie, où, dit-il, "les dessinateurs étaient plutôt gentils avec les politiques. Je me suis dit qu'on ne pouvait pas rester neutre, qu'il fallait prendreposition. Ce n'était pas une situation normale, nous étions en pleine crise morale, avec beaucoup de corruption, de copinage, d'abus de pouvoir et d'atteintes aux droits de l'homme", explique-t-il. "Même mon crayon, quand je le pose dans son pot, prend position", poursuit-il.

Arrêté puis relâché

Ses attaques lui ont valu des ennuis et ses livres sont censurés. En septembre 2010, il a été arrêté par la police, peu avant la sortie du septième et dernier,Cartoon-o-phobia. Après une nuit passée dans plusieurs commissariats, une manoeuvre destinée à semer ses partisans, il a réussi à être relâché en défiant les policiers au tribunal. "Le juge a demandé à mes accusateurs s'ils avaient lu le livre. La réponse a bien évidemment été négative, puisqu'il n'avait pas encore été publié. Donc j'ai pu souligner que les poursuites n'avaient aucun fondement."

Internet et les réseaux sociaux lui permettent de contourner la censure. "61 % des 28 millions de Malaisiens utilisent Internet. Facebook et Twitter sont plus que des réseaux sociaux en Malaisie, ce sont des réseaux alternatifs, où circule l'information, comme en Egypte et en Tunisie. C'est un nouveau défi pour le gouvernement, car il a perdu le monopole." Il n'est plus seul désormais, rejoint par une dizaine de jeunes "disciples", qui se réunissent régulièrement. De manière informelle, ils ont formé un "club des caricaturistes indépendants", où il joue un rôle de "doyen".

  Francois Bougon

Article published in the 03/03/12

Zunar Takes His Campaign To The UK!

Posted Sunday, February 19th, 2012

From SarawakReport 

Reference : http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/02/zunar-takes-his-campaign-to-the-uk/

Introducing Rosmah to Nelson's Column in Trafalagar Square

The crowds passing through ‘Malaysia’s Speakers’ Corner’ on Trafalgar Square had the pleasure of watching cartoons being created live this weekend, as the ‘notorious’ Zunar took his campaign to London.

Zunar does in Malaysia what dozens of successful cartoonists do in the UK and in other free countries, which is lampoon the political leadership.  It is generally regarded as a healthy tonic to be able to make fun of your leaders and to point out their weak spots.

David Cameron probably doesn't really
 like being shown as a condom.
 On the other hand he knows better than to
arrest and try the cartoonist for sedition!

n the UK, David Cameron has to put up with being portrayed as condom, owning to his rather smooth and ‘baby-bottom’ features!   This is an annoyance that is treated as a sign that a politician has arrived and is sensibly laughed off.

However, the BN Malaysia establishment has reacted differently.  They do not like to be portrayed in anything but fawning tones, it turns out, and they have brought out all their anti-terrorist weapons of law and state to suppress Zunar.

It seems has has had far too many people in stitches over his portrayal of a government run by a mild-mannered and hen pecked husband, half the size of his corpulent and domineering wife Rosmah!

One to please Taib? Zunar has a laugh about how his younger wife at least must annoy Rosmah!

Standing trial

So it was that on the eve of publication of his latest book Zunar was arrested at his home at night by a gang of police, who seized all the copies of the book and of his earlier six books, which had equally poked fun at earlier politicians such as Badawi and Mahatir.

Walking exhibit - Zunar draped himself in
his cartoons as he posted himself outside the
Malaysian Tourist Office to draw his protest!

Zunar was then transferred through the night to seven different police lock-ups, so that protesters would not know where to find him!  For the entire period he was kept in painful handcuffs.

The police then tried to hold him in remand on the grounds that he was a dangerous seditionist, threatening to overthrow the state.

The Magistrate, however, asked what was dangerous about the cartoons and the police could not answer, because they had not actually reviewed the drawings!

He was released.

However, the state (i.e. BN/UMNO) has continued with its determination to intimidate, silence and jail Zunar for mocking politicians who would rather pretend they are special and superior human beings.  He faces trial next month when he returns to Malaysia.

Backfiring

Gathering to see Zunar's cartoons in Londo

As ever these bully boy, BN tactics have backfired.  They have only boosted Zunar’s fame and influence, turning a cheeky cartoonist into a national figure of protest!  With great courage Zunar has stuck to his guns… or rather his own particular weapon, which is an inky pen.

For the past months he has been exhibiting in Europe and now has come to London with a collection of his latest cartoons on display at an Exhibition supported by the Freedom of Speech NGO, Article 19 at the Free World Centre in Farringdon Road, London.

He launched the exhibition to a packed audience last week and told listeners that when a regime can no longer afford to be laughed at it is a regime that is waiting to fall.  They laughed.

Ancient and inscrutable?

It will come as no surprise that Taib has also been an irresistible staple of Zunar’s humour.  The greedy old dictator has been portrayed as a sphinx and a second Mahatir.

Same old 'progress and development'!

But, his latest cartoon has the old boy running on empty.  Still spouting the same old Sixties rhetoric about progress and development, but now with Sarawak’s resources fast disappearing and without much progress for anyone else but him, he is shown as a spent force!

REPORT ON LAUNCHING OF ZUNAR’S EXHIBITION IN LONDON

REPORT ON LAUNCHING OF ZUNAR’S EXHIBITION IN LONDON

1. EVENT: The launching of Zunar's cartoon exhibition, "To Fight Through Cartoon"

2. DATE: 15 February 2012, 6.45pm (London time)

3. VENUE: Free Word Centre, 60, Farringdon Road, London.

4. ORGANISER: Article 19, an international NGO that fights for the freedom of expression and information.

5. THE EXHIBITON: It is Zunar’s first solo exhibition. He has previously held two exhibitions with other artists in Bilbao, Spain. The 80-piece displays in the exhibition were divided into 4 categories – Najib, Rosmah, Conspiracies Against Anwar and General Issues. "To Fight Through Cartoon" will be held until 13^th of March 2012. The gallery is open for free viewing from Monday – Friday, 9am – 9pm.

6. GUEST SPEAKERS: The founder of Radio Free Sarawak and Sarawak Report, Clare Rewcastle Brown and the Executive Director of Article 19, Dr Agnes Callamard.

7. AUDIENCE: full house of about 100; professional Malaysians, Malaysian students, locals.

8. PROGRAM

i.                    Started with introduction and welcoming speech by the Executive Director of Article 19, Dr Agnes Callamard, followed by a speech from Zunar and video-conferencing by the Malaysian Human Rights activist, Malik Imtiaz.

ii.                   In his speech, Zunar said among others:

“Malaysia is facing a moral crisis and beset by corruption, abuse of power and violations of human rights. It is a duty for us to take a firm stand against the repressive regime that has ruled the country for the past 54 years.

It is morally wrong for us to keep quiet. The 13th Century poet Dante Alighieri said, the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality. All Malaysians should play their part. Let us stand together and fight. As a cartoonist this is my little contribution in this struggle. How can I be neutral, even my pen has a stand?

My detention under the Sedition Act shows that drawing cartoon in Malaysia is a crime. When drawing cartoon becomes a crime, a downfall of a regime is a matter of time.”

iii.                In Clare’s speech, she said: “I love Zunar’s target on Rosmah and Taib (Mahmud). I commend Zunar for the courage, and for being brave and a wonderful champion. It takes brave people to bring change to weak regimes.”

9.       Q&A

Answering a question from the audience, regarding how he gets ideas to draw political cartoons, Zunar said: “It is a bit easy because I live in Malaysia. Malaysian politicians provide me ideas every day. The Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers look very smart and intelligent, until they open their mouth. The moment they start to open their mouths, I can start open my sketch book.”

To another question, Zunar said: “It not necessary for everyone to join political parties as the political parties are only one part of the whole struggle. Creating more dimensions in very creative ways is very effective to fight a regime. If we are in war, it is better to have 1000 battalions consisting one soldier each compared to one battalion consisting 1000 soldiers.”

10.   AUDIENCE FEEDBACKS.

i.                    Amir (not real name), Malaysian Government officer

“To me, Zunar is one of the two great legends in Malaysia apart for Dato’ Lat. When I got to know about the launching of the exhibition coinciding with my trip to London, I registered for the entrance. In fact, I was the first to register. I feel like I must be here and be part of the event.”

ii.                  Robin (with photo), Belgium computer engineer who has worked for 15 years in London

“I feel that Zunar’s cartoons are powerful because they are very effective in making the public understand more on the political issues, hence the cartoons are a threat to the government. I am also a huge cartoon fan; Zunar’s cartoons reminds me of Belgian cartoonist Joost Swarte and American Robert Crumb.”

iii.                 Andrenw Tyna (with photo), IT Manager in London

“I have visited Malaysia a few times and my activist friend in Malaysia has been telling me about the political situation in the country. Zunar’s cartoons are great  in the sense that I could now relate the stories and understand the Malaysian politics better.”

iv.                  Adil Johan (with photo), doctorate student at the King’s College, London

“I am not afraid to come – I have been Zunar’s fan for years. When I first saw his drawings at the exhibition, I thought he has a very strong form of artistic expression that are open to interpretation. When I looked back carefully, the under-lying messages and the detailing revealed further. That’s what I love about his cartoons.”

Andrew Tyna

Robin

Adil Johan