Zunar, fellow Asean cartoonists showcase 'hard-hitting' works online

Political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, better known as Zunar, will be co-organising an online exhibition showcasing political cartoons from across the Asean countries, which will be launched via an online event today by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“Themed 'Human Rights in My Country', it will exhibit 100 hard-hitting cartoon works by 37 cartoonists from the Asean region.

“There are 13 from Malaysia, including Zunar, 13 from Indonesia, four from Thailand, six from the Philippines and one cartoonist representing Myanmar.

“Among the issues highlighted in the main gallery are the state of emergency in Malaysia, the royal defamation law in Thailand, the murderous war on drugs in the Philippines, the coup in Myanmar and Papua in Indonesia,” Zunar (above) said in a statement last night.

The exhibition, titled "The Asean Human Rights Cartoon Exhibition", will take place from May 3 to May 30 and is organised by Zunar and NGO Hujjah Ehsan.

Aside from Anwar, the launch of the exhibition at 2pm will also see speeches by Yenny Wahid, daughter of former Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid, as well as Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson.

Zunar also said there will be a Myanmar Solidarity Gallery, an effort by the cartoonists to show support for the people of the country.

“Cartoonists put to pen drawings that mark as a symbol of solidarity as we stand with the people of Myanmar to defend democracy against the coup d’etat by the military regime,” he said.

Entrance to the exhibition is free and visitors will be able to visit the gallery and attend the launch online. 

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