‘I deeply respect her. I fully expect her help the country. Her stand and actions can bring many benefits to our people. That’s why I want to meet her’, Zay Yar Thaw said.

The 31-year-old entertainer, a leader of an opposition group called Generation Wave, was released on Tuesday from Kawthoung Prison.

In 2008, he was charged under section 6/88 of the Unlawful Association Act and section 24/1 of the Foreign Currency Act and sentenced to six years in prison. Later, his sentenced was commuted to four years. On Tuesday, he was among those  released from prison under a commutation ordered by President Thein Sein.

Singers Zay Yar Thaw, Anaggha, Hein Zaw and Yan Yan Chan organized Burma’s first hip hop group, Acid, in late 2000.

In late 1990s, Acid started introducing old school hip hop in the night clubs of Yangon, and became popular among Yangon youth. Acid, widely considered to be the pioneers of Burmese hip-hop, made their debut in 2000 with Sa-Tin-Gyin (Beginning) which became an instant hit, according to Wikipedia.

Their success attracted other hip-hop artists and groups, now known as the ‘first generation’ of Burmese hip-hop. Most of the first generation artists used old school hip-hop. Still, hip hop is new to the Burmese and not widely accepted yet by the public at large.