At the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum, Burmese artist Sai Redacted was one of the recipients of the Vaclav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent.
He spoke powerfully at the Forum, wearing a prison uniform like this father’s, accepting the award on behalf of his father and of all political prisoners:
Dad, they abducted you, tortured you, and imprisoned your body for over five years.They pushed us into exile.They destroyed our home with an airstrike.I am so sorry to tell you that grandmother has passed away.And I am sorry the prison walls kept you from saying goodbye.They have forced us to mourn apart.
Sai was awarded the 2026 Vaclav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent together with Chinese artist Gao Zhen.
Gao was arrested in China in August 2024.
In a secret trial on March 30, he faced charges of “slandering heroes and martyrs” for artworks that were created a decade before that crime was enacted. Gao Zhao remains in detention.
Burmese artist Sai Redacted wins Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent
Listen to Sai Redacted speak about his experience accepting the award and participating in the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum.
