Rebels With A Cause

Punk is finding its voice as a powerful form of social commentary in Asia.

- Joe Henley

Punk hardly needs an introduction. Music, fashion and lifestyle converge in this unique subculture, known for its wild Mohawk hairstyles, spikes and piercings, black leather and “emo” disposition.

In Asia, a continent whose many different cultures tend to share a deep-seated appreciation for cultural traditionalism, you would be forgiven for thinking that punk barely registers in the social strata in the more conservative parts of the region.

But it does – and not just in terms of fashion statements – although in fashionable areas such as Taipei’s ZhongxiaoDunhua and Tokyo’s Harajuku, you can drop several hundred dollars to get the look of strung-out Sid Vicious, even if without the Sex Pistols’ true grit.

But while punk culture comprises a very small segment of the population in Asia, there are several dedicated punk scenes stepping into the spotlight.

PUNK REVOLUTION

Myanmar was run by a ruthless military junta which crushed any voices of dissent for decades. Here, punk has remained in the underground for some 20 years, but it is finally emerging.

According to 36-year-old Thet Khaing – also known as “Skum” – a vocalist in Yangon’s D-beat “crust” punk band Kultureshock, and a leading figure in the Burmese punk insurgence, Myanmar’s punk scene started out as one of the city’s fashion factions before it evolved into a fully-fledged music movement.

“It all started in the mid-1990s when a group of guys started to dress up like punks on festival days,” he says. “Younger kids wanted to copy their style and began the practice of going out dressed up like punks. Eventually, that fashion punk scene evolved and became the punk music scene you see nowadays.”