Acid (often written ACID; Burmese: အက်စစ်, [ʔɛʔ sɪʔ]) is a Burmese hip hop group often credited with releasing Burma's first hip hop album, Beginning, in 2000. Two of the group's founders were later imprisoned for the group's allegedly pro-democracy lyrics.
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Beginning
Acid was founded by Zayar Thaw, Annaga, Hein Zaw and Yan Yan Chan. In 2000, Acid released Burma's first hip-hop album, Beginning. Despite predictions of failure by many in the Burmese music industry, Beginning remained in the number one position of the Burmese charts for more than two months. A Democratic Voice of Burma reporter described the group's music as blending a "combative, angry style with indigenous poeticism".
The band's repertoire has been said to contain many "thinly veiled attacks" on Burma's military government, the State Peace and Development Council. The Independent stated that while the band "focused on the mundane, their lyrics inevitably touched on the hardships of life in Burma, drawing them into dangerous territory."
Arrests of Acid members
On 12 March 2008, Zayar Thaw was arrested at a Yangon restaurant with friends on charges relating to his involvement in the youth pro-democracy movement Generation Wave. In April, Yan Yan Chan was also arrested. Although it was widely reported in English pro-democracy papers that he was arrested in relation to democracy activities, he actually arrested on drug charges. (Acid's 4th member Hein Zaw also died from a drug overdose)
Zayar Thaw was allegedly beaten during his interrogation. On 20 November 2008, he was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for breaking State Law and Order Restoration Council Law No. 6/88, "illegal organizing under the Unlawful Association Act". Amnesty International described this statute as "a vaguely worded law whose sweeping provisions can be interpreted as making it illegal to set up any kind of organization". He was given an additional year's imprisonment for possession of foreign currency, as he had been carrying approximately $20 USD in Thai baht, Singapore dollars, and Malaysian ringgit at the time of his arrest. He served his sentence at Kawthaung prison. Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience and called for his immediate release.
After nearly a year's detention, Yan Yan Chan was released without charges on 7 January 2009. Zayar Thaw was pardoned and released on 17 May 2011.