The occasion was unusual but Myanmar’s Miss Universe contestant Thuzar Wint Lwin made sure she drove home the message at the final of the pageant in Hollywood, Florida.
“Our people are dying and being shot by the military every day. I would like to urge everyone to speak about Myanmar. As Miss Universe Myanmar since the coup, I have been speaking out as much as I can,” she said in a video message.
She didn’t make it to the last round of the competition but won the award for Best National Costume. As she walked down the ramp in it, she held up a placard that read: ‘Pray for Myanmar’.