BBC Radio profile of Zargarnar | Myanmar's greatest living comedian | arts and human rights activist

Zarganar is Burma's greatest living comedian, but he is also much more than that. A BBC Radio 4 documentary profiles Zarganar and examines how he has used his unique satire and performance to speak out in support of freedom of expression and human rights.

As a political activist, Zarganar was a fierce critic of Burma's generals who put him in jail several times, including five years in solitary confinement, for exposing their crimes and human rights violations.

The documentary film-maker Rex Bloomstein secretly interviewed Zarganar in Burma in 2007 for a film about freedom of expression. At the time Zarganar was banned from any artistic activity.

Bloomstein now travels openly to Burma to interview Zarganar in his home country for the first time since his release. Zarganar continues to use his unique satire to speak out as the country moves along an uncertain path to democracy.

You can LISTEN AGAIN to this 30 minute Radio documentary - 'Burma's Zarganar: The Man Who Laughed at the Generals' (you may need to download the free BBC iPlayer software).

Programmes are normally available for 7 days from transmission: i.e. until 17 JULY 2013