A Beauty Queen Says She Was Dethroned After Making a Video on the Rohingya Crisis

A Myanmar beauty queen claims she has been defamed and unceremoniously dethroned over a video she made commenting on ethnic and religious violence in her country’s volatile west. Shwe Eain Si, a 19-year-old pageant runner-up, lost her Miss Grand Myanmar title, as well as her eligibility to compete in an upcoming pageant after she waded into politically charged waters. In the video, Shwe Eain Si blamed the crisis, which has sent more than 509,000 refugees fleeing across the border to Bangladesh, on Rohingya militants. The video sets graphic images of mutilated bodies to a piano accompaniment as the beauty contestant suggests that the international community has misrepresented the crisis. Responding to pageant officials in a statement posted to Facebook on Oct. 3, the beauty queen claimed she was the victim of a “pathetic” smear campaign after her video told “the truth” about the conflict. She promised to sue the pageant organizers. The company, Hello Madam Media Group, has said the dethroning was unrelated to the video, and stemmed from a prior decision related to vulgar language and conduct unsuitable for a “miss.” “It is only expected of the public to voice my opinions and concerns on the recent violence and massacre happening in Rakhine state of my country,” she said in the video. Speaking in English she goes on to accuse the militants and their supporters of conducting a “successful media campaign so that harbing...
Source: TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Burma myanmar onetime Rohingya Source Type: news