According to the news that has been circulating in Thailand and Myanmar pageant sources; it is being said that the Myanmar military has issued an arrest warrant for Miss Grand Myanmar 2020 Han Lay for raising her voice about her country’s democratic struggles and the atrocities committed by the state’s military. They have also issued an arrest warrant for the person who sent Han Lay to Thailand.
There has been no confirmation about the news but there have been various sources that have established that Han Lay’s taking over the stage of Miss Grand International 2020 and speaking up and asking for international help has had the military in Myanmar to take such actions. She didn’t win the competition but she is known as one of the passionate contenders who pleaded the international help for her country.
Miss Grand Myanmar 2020 Han Lay took over to Miss Grand International 2020 stage and raised her voice against the military junta, saying that her activism is just the beginning. She mentioned, “Today in my country Myanmar, there are so many people dying. Please help Myanmar. We need your urgent international help right now. I will continue to be the voice of the people of Myanmar as I consider this my responsibility. I will use the international platform as well as social media to reach out to the international community.”
In a recent interview, Han Lay staying in Thailand as of now had mentioned that she knew before she left Myanmar for Thailand that she would be potentially putting herself at risk and would need to stay in Thailand for a while. "I am so worried about my family and my security because I spoke out a lot about the military and the situation in Myanmar. In Myanmar everyone knows there are limits on speaking out about what is happening," she said. After Miss Grand International 2020 was crowned, it was established that Han Lay would be staying in Thailand for the next two months until it’s safe for her to travel back to her country.
Han Lay mentioned that even though she had not been contacted by military or any other officials from Myanmar after her speech but various social media accounts are attacking her and sending her threats. "On social media they threatened me, saying when I go back to Myanmar prison is waiting for me,” she added. Han Lay also stated that after the speech she cried a lot but she held herself tight while speaking because she knew that she can’t breakdown now and has to speak up.
Han Lay's family is safe, she said, but communication with them is sporadic because the internet is being regularly cut in Myanmar. The diva also shared that she struggled during the competition as well, as she shared that with everything happening back in her country and thinking about her family and the ones on the street, she was not able to focus and felt guilty for smiling and doing activities as the people in Myanmar were suffering. Mr. Nawat during a recent live session shared his concerns about her security and mentioned that he will ensure that Han Lay is safe in Thailand.
Myanmar has descended into chaos since the coup, with daily demonstrations and strikes designed to cripple the country’s administration, many of which have been lethally suppressed by security forces with live ammunition. The organization and Miss Grand Myanmar 2020 are yet to conform the rumours and we just wish and pray for the beauty queen’s safety!