Htar Htet Htet, who represented Myanmar in the first Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2013, has turned rebel, promising to bring down the southeast Asian country’s brutal military junta or die fighting it.
Eight years after competing against 60 contenders in the beauty pageant, the 32-year-old gymnastics instructor has joined ethnic armed groups in Myanmar’s border regions. She has also posted photos of herself with an assualt rifle.
On her Facebook page, she wrote: “The time has come to fight back. Whether you hold a weapon, pen, keyboard or donate money to the pro-democracy movement, everyone must do their bit for the revolution to succeed.”
“I will fight back as much as I can. I am ready and prepared to give up everything. I am even ready to pay with my life,” she wrote.
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall. (Che Guevara) We must Win,” Htar Htet Htet tweeted.
The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall. (Che Guevara)
We must Win 💪💪💪 pic.twitter.com/iHEDhF314p— Htar Htet Htet (@HtarHtetHtet2) May 11, 2021
“Hundreds of ethnic Bamars or Burmese, angered by death of protesting comrades in military/ police firings, have joined the newly-formed urban rebel groups like the Federal Army and United Defence Force,” news agency IANS reported.
Just like Htet Htet, these angry youths are now training in weapons use and guerilla tactics in bases of Myanmar ‘s old ethnic rebel armies like the Karen National Union.
Myanmar has been in chaos since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1.
“The coup ended the country’s decade-long experiment with democracy after half a century of military rule. More than 780 civilians have died as security forces moved to quash mass protests with a brutal crackdown, reported news agency AFP.
“They have shot demonstrators in the streets, arrested people in night raids, locked up journalists and ordered internet outages,” it added.
Thousands of people from urban parts of Myanmar have fled to border regions, including many with links to Ms Suu Kyi’s political party and others facing arrest for their involvement in the protest movement and labour strikes.
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