AA puts one-month stop to zat pwe performances in Arakan State

13 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
13 February 2023, Sittwe

The Arakan Army (AA) has imposed a ban on zat pwe performances, from February 14 until March 18, for the upcoming matriculation examination.

The AA has instructed the traditional dance troupes not to stage performances until the matriculation exam ends on March 18, according to managers of the popular entertainment ensembles.

“Local AA commanders told us that primary and middle school students are sitting exams soon, and we are not allowed to stage performance near their exam centres. We will have to suspend for nearly a month, until the end of the matriculation exams,” said U Tun Aye, chairman of the Arakan State Zat Thabin Association.

The ‘Hein Yadanar Aung’ Zat Thabin group has had to cancel around 10 performances due to the ban, said manager Ko Mike Ke.

“We will have difficulties paying salaries to our employees because of the ban,” he said.

DMG was unable to contact AA spokesman U Khaing Thukha to confirm the ethnic armed group’s temporary prohibition on zat pwe performances.

There are approximately a dozen dance troupes based in Arakan State, employing around 1,000 people, according to the Arakan State Zat Thabin Association. These troupes typically do not operate during Myanmar’s rainy season from May to October, leaving a limited window of time in which they are able to earn money.

The zat pwe performers are planning to submit a petition to the AA, asking the armed group to allow them to stage performances in rural parts of Arakan State as exam centres will not be run there, said director U Khaing Htoo Aung of ‘Yadanar Lin’ Zat Thabin.

“We will present our difficulties and ask them to allow us to perform in places where there are no exam centres. It will seriously damage the industry if we have to halt for a month. So, we will submit a petition to mitigate the impacts. We are collecting signatures for the petition now,” he told DMG.

Zat pwe troupes were not able to perform for years due to fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army from late 2018 to November 2020, with some groups disbanding during that period, according to the Arakan State Zat Thabin Association.