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Han Lay, who spoke out against the army's deadly suppression of anti-junta protests, is denied entry to Thailand despite taking refuge there for the past year.
abc.net.au/news/myanmar-beauty-queen-han-lay-stranded-in-thailand-airport/101470614A beauty queen who spoke out against Myanmar's military rulers has been stranded at Thailand's international airport for a third day, hoping to be granted entry, as activists and her employer urged authorities not to send her back to her homeland.
Han Lay has been denied entry by Thai authorities, despite having taken refuge in Thailand for the past yearThe beauty queen gained attention when she spoke out against the army's deadly suppression of anti-junta protests in Myanmar Han Lay, who gained international attention last year with her moving pageant speech on the army's deadly suppression of anti-junta protests in her native Myanmar, has been denied entry by Thai authorities, despite having taken refuge in Thailand for the past year. The 23-year-old model, whose real name is Thaw Nandar Aung, was stopped at Bangkok's Suvarnhabhumi airport on Wednesday, when returning from a brief visit to Vietnam. Han Lay told Reuters she was stopped by immigration and spent one night in a detention room but was "okay now". "I am just waiting on what will happen next," she said in a phonecall, declining to reveal where she is now.The events management team that works with Han Lay said they hoped she could re-enter Thailand. "The only thing we want is her not to return to Myanmar because if she returns, we don't not know what will happen to her," said a representative, who declined to be identified. Asked about Han Lay's case on Friday, Thai foreign ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said authorities "did not make an arrest and have no plans to send her anywhere at this stage".Travel hub Thailand has often been caught up in tugs of war between countries seeking the return of citizens and activists who say those individuals would be persecuted if sent home. These included an Australia-based soccer player arrested in Thailand in 2018 at the request of Bahrain for criticising its monarchy, and an 18-year-old Saudi woman who was stranded at Bangkok's airport after fleeing her family.