greatesthitsfromthebong:

In Burma, punk is far more than just a superficial copy of its Western counterpart. Here, what is probably the most rebellious of all subcultures in the Southeast Asian country is going up against one of the world’s most authoritarian regimes. Punk gives young Burmese a chance to symbolically spit in the face of the hated government, which took power in 2010 in the wake of what was widely considered a fraudulent election.

“The government keeps the people in poverty,” says a 30-year-old who goes by the name of Scum, spitting on the ground. “It’s a daily struggle just to get by.” Protests are rarely possible, he says.

Scum is not impressed by the country’s recent transfer of power to a civil government after almost five decades of iron-fisted military rule. After all, he says, the new government is mostly made up of members of the former ruling junta. Scum slumps back into the sofa, “There are secret police everywhere here,” he says. “When they learn that I’ve spoken about politics, they’ll put a sack over my head and take me away.”

Scum is not to be cowed. He hates the regime more than he fears it.

“We live in a damn police state in which we’re risking our lives,” Ko says. “In Burma, punk is not a game. It’s a way of life — and for that we deserve respect.”

Wanted to post this again because I love this image, and these excerpts from the article are fantastic. Read more at the source if you haven’t already.

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