EXPOSING UMNO BULLYING & OPPRESSION: Zunar goes on US tour to 'fight through cartoons'

I hereby announce "To Fight Through Cartoon" in the U.S from January 22th to February 1st, 2014.

The major event will be in Kentucky. I will be delivering a key speech at the Annual Lecture on Asian Democracy at the Center for Asian Democracy University of Louisville. The event will take place on January 22nd, Wednesday, 7 pm, at the Brown & Williamson Club at Papa John's Stadium.

I will be addressing the audience about the challenges and obstacles I have been facing being a political cartoonist in a repressive country like Malaysia. They will be infomed how I was arrested and detained under the Sedition Act, seven of my cartoon books were banned by the government, my office was raided twice, the printing factories are constantly raided and vendors are often warned not to sell my books.

My cartoons are also not allowed to be published by the mainstream medias, which are controlled by the government.

Lack of press freedom, civil liberties

I will also touch about press freedom and the various restrictions on civil liberties in Malaysia, as well as the important issues such as the Altantuya case, the Scorpene scandal, the conspiracy against the former Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the controversial Allah issue.

According to the information from the university, I am the third person to be honoured to speak at this annual event. The previous speakers were Chinese human right activist, Harry Wu (2013) who was jailed for 18 years, and ex-American Ambassador to Myanmar, Derek James Mitchell (2012). I also will conduct several cartoon classes for the art students and media students.

There will be the exhibition of my political cartoons at the venue on the same theme. My previous solo exhibitions were in Bilbao (Spain), London and Shah Alam, Selangor

The recognition by the University of Louisville also serves as a 'morale booster' for me to continue "To Fight Through Cartoon." It is interesting to note that I am not allowed to speak at the universities in my homeland!

THE STATEMENT FROM Director, Center for Asian Democracy Dr Jason P. Abbott.

The Center for Asian Democracy’s Annual Lecture on Asian Democracy is presented each year by an individual who has been personally involved in the struggle for democracy, the promotion of democratization or the consolidation of democratic change in East Asia. The Malaysian cartoonist Zunar will present this year’s 2014 lecture.

Zunar’s own struggle against sedition charges levied against him by the Malaysian government, visibly demonstrates both the continued use of repressive legislation by the Malaysian government to curtail democratic freedoms and norms, as well as how in the struggle for freedom of speech it is not only activists and protestors whose voice matters, but also that of comedians, satirists and cartoonists.

http://louisville.edu/asiandemocracy

The next destination will be in Washington DC, where I will be having a talk session and book promotion at one of the major book stores, Busboys and Poets. I will focus on the same theme "To Fight Through Cartoon" and take questions from the audience, both locals and Malaysians. I will also be promoting my latest book the "Pirate of the Carry-BN". The event will take place on January 29th (Wednesday) from 7.30pm to 9:00pm.

This is my first promotion in a book store, and ironically it is outside Malaysia!

http://www.busboysandpoets.com/

A program in New York wil be a forum with Malaysians on February 1st at the New York City University.

Zunar, Political cartoonist, “Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award 2011” by Cartoonists Rights Network International (CRNI).