Myanmar Beauty Queen Picks Up Arms Against Military Junta

Myanmar Beauty Queen: Thailand's first Miss Grand International Beauty pageant of 2013,  has joined ethnic armed groups near Myanmar borders to fight against the military junta.

The 32-year-old Myanmar beauty queen and gymnastics instructor named Htar Htet Htet posted pictures of herself holding an assault rifle. In her page on Facebook, the beauty pageant urged others to join the revolution against the Myanmar army, "The time has come to fight back. Whether you hold a weapon, pen, keyboard or donate money to the pro-democracy movement, everyone must do their bit for the revolution to succeed."

She said that she is ready to pay with her life if need be. "I will fight back as much as I can. I am ready and prepared to give up everything. I am even ready to pay with my life," she wrote.

Htet Htet quoted Che Guevara and wrote, " The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall. We must win."

Htar Htet Htet had won the beauty pageant in 2013 after defeating 60 contestants. The current state of tension in Myanmar has costed many lives in the country. Celebrities, models and famous personalities have started to raise their voices against it.

The seed of the violence was sown when the country's military forces arrested the leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized all power from her on February 1. It marked the end of a decade long democratic rule in the country after military rule of more than 50 years.

According to the UN News, as of May 10, about 782 people have been killed at the hands of the military. The junta reportedly used "lethal forces to suppress demonstrations and other forms of public participation".

Rupert Colville, UN rights office spokesperson, said that the military authorities are not willing to stop the brutal crackdowns against civilians "in a bid to consolidate their hold on power".

He added, "While much of the world's attention has been on the number of peaceful protesters and bystanders killed by the security forces, the authorities continue to commit other gross human rights violations against the people of Myanmar."

Many people have already fled the country and are taking refuge in neighbouring nations such as India.