I have been honoured to be invited to speak on a panel and play some of my original songs at two screenings in Sydney of the wonderful short film on Myanmar “Voices of Resistance.” The film tells the story of four young Burmese forced to flee their homeland following the brutal takeover by the military junta in 2001. Speakers on the panel included Sean Turnell, Australian university academic who was an advisor to the Myanmar government during its period of democracy. Sean was arrested along with Aung San Suu Kyi and spent almost two years in the infamous and appropriately named In Sein prison in Yangon.  Sean shared with the audience the incredible hardships, only surviving through the support and kindness of other political prisoners. We were also very fortunate to be joined and hear the reflections of Su Phyo Lwin, a senior Burmese peace and conflict expert who is now the Public Policy Manager on Myanmar for Meta.

   

Following the film and panel I took my guitar and played my new single, “Mandalay” which will be released in the next two weeks. The song tells the story of two student activists who fall in love in the intoxicating atmosphere of revolution. They are arrested and imprisoned but hold on to the memories of their love and their promise to meet up again…in Mandalay.