Our People Are Dying: Myanmar’s Thuzar Wint Lwin At Miss Universe Pageant

Thuzar Wint Lwin, a Miss Universe contestant representing Myanmar, used the pageant stage on Sunday to urge the world to speak out against the military junta whose security forces have killed hundreds of opponents and citizens since it seized the power from its elected leadership in February this year.

In a video message for the competition, where she was appearing in the finals at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Lwin said that the people of her country are dying and being shot by the military every day.

She also added that she would like to urge everyone to speak about Myanmar and speak out as much as she can since the coup, as Miss Universe Myanmar.

Lwin is among several celebrities, actors, social media influencers, and sportspeople of Myanmar who have voiced their opinion against the coup in which Aung San Suu Kyi, the elected leader of Myanmar was overthrown and detained.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners activist group, at least 790 people have been killed by the security forces since the coup. The group also claims that over 5,000 people have been arrested. and about 4,000 are still detained which also includes several celebrities.

Although Lwin did not make it to the last round of the competition, she won the award for Best National Costume, which was based on the ethnic costume of her Chin people from northwest Myanmar. It is the place where the fighting has raged between the Myanmar army and the anti-junta militia fighters.

Thuzar Wint Lwin held up a placard that said "Pray for Myanmar", as she paraded in her costume on the pageant stage.

Previously, another model Han Lay, a representative of Myanmar at the Miss Grand International beauty pageant, also spoke about her country's military atrocities. The pageant was held in Thailand on April 3, where she asked the world to help her country.

Another beauty queen Htar Htet Htet also spoke against the military's violence against the country's citizens. On her Facebook page, she posted pictures of herself holding an assault rifle and urged people to join the revolution against the Myanmar army.