Comedian Mun Lay has apologized for forcing a critic to kneel, slapping them, and then making them kowtow by touching their feet, after a video of the incident was posted on social media.
In the video, the person kneeling says, “I am publicly apologizing to Mun Lay for supporting and commenting on a post that falsely criticized him online.” Mun Lay is heard saying, “Will you dare to talk back again? Are you wrong or am I wrong?” before slapping the person. He then says, “I’m being too nice, or else your teeth would have fallen out. Kowtow and apologize, touch my feet and apologize.”
A viewer commented that such thuggish behavior by Mun Lay highlights the lack of rule of law in Myanmar. “Watching this, I felt both disgust and fear. The fact that someone can act so recklessly and violently without any regard for consequences shows how lawless our country has become. As ordinary citizens, we now have to be wary not just of soldiers and police, but also of thugs like him,” the viewer said.
Mun Lay explained that he slapped the person out of frustration. “It was a moment of anger on my part, and while it may seem wrong, it’s not as if I’m the troublemaker people are making me out to be. I’m someone who lives peacefully and contributes to society. I don’t tolerate disrespect, and that’s why this happened,” he said.
The incident occurred on January 17, when Mun Lay went to the critic’s residence and physically assaulted them after the critic had repeatedly left negative comments on his social media posts. Mun Lay himself uploaded the video of the assault, which led to widespread criticism.
“He has repeatedly commented negatively about me. He’s the type of person who tries to mislead others,” Mun Lay said.
On January 28, Mun Lay apologized for the video, but some social media users remained critical. One comment read, “Mun Lay thinks he’s above the law. He has money, connections, and thugs on his side. He’s untouchable. He’s only apologizing now because he’s afraid of losing business opportunities.” Another commenter added, “It’s not about not tolerating disrespect; it’s about flaunting his wealth and power.”
Mun Lay clarified that he acted out of frustration and covered the person’s face in the video to protect their dignity. He stated that he posted the video on social media as a form of retaliation for the online insults he had received.
Mun Lay is a protégé of comedian Dein Daung and has worked with him in the entertainment industry. Currently, he is working as a real estate agent, according to sources in the art community.