Han Lay: Myanmar magnificence queen dealing with junta risk leaves Thailand for Canada

Bangkok, Thailand CNN  — 

A beauty queen from Myanmar who took refuge in Thailand after criticizing her dwelling nation’s ruling navy junta has left Bangkok for Canada the place she is predicted to hunt asylum, Thai immigration officers instructed CNN.

Han Lay, 23, captured worldwide consideration with an emotional pageant speech through the finals of the Miss Grand Worldwide Myanmar competitors in 2021 when she held up a banner with the phrases “Pray for Myanmar” to boost consciousness of human rights atrocities committed by junta officers.

She obtained demise threats after the speech and determined to not return dwelling after the competitors – which was held in Thailand.

Nevertheless, she appeared to face the specter of deportation after returning to Thailand final Wednesday following a visit to Vietnam. She was stopped by officers at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Worldwide Airport who mentioned they’d found an issue along with her passport and since then she had been in limbo.

Archayon Kraithong, deputy chief of Thailand’s immigration bureau, instructed CNN on Wednesday that Han Lay had left Bangkok on Tuesday night time. “Her last vacation spot is Canada,” he mentioned with out giving additional particulars.

Han Lay beforehand instructed CNN that she was in search of political asylum in Canada regardless of wanting to stay in Thailand.

“Han Lay was the sufferer of a deliberate political act by the junta to make her stateless when she flew again to Thailand from Vietnam final week,” mentioned Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, including that it was “not the primary time” junta officers had “weaponized” Burmese passports.

“There isn’t any doubt that what transpired was a entice to attempt to power Han Lay to return to Myanmar, the place she would have confronted rapid arrest, probably abuse in detention, and imprisonment,” Robertson added.

The scenario in Myanmar continues to deteriorate following the 2021 navy coup. Human rights violations stay rife, rights teams say and state executions have returned as battle throughout the nation rages.

Hundreds of thousands proceed to withstand the ruling junta led by Min Aung Hlaing, which has killed tons of of pro-democracy protesters and locked up the nation’s democratically elected chief Aung San Suu Kyi.