Miss Grand International Myanmar 2020 Thaw Nandar Aung aka Han Lay on Wednesday begged for the international community to assist her people and rescue her country from atrocities.
Han Lay, who made the 20-contestant final of the beauty competition in Bangkok on Saturday, has become the talk of the town after addressing the world from the stage, providing her own update on the protest situation following the army's Feb 1 coup.
She said the Myanmar army should cease from using violence against its own people, words that will surely lead to her and her family being punished back home.
On Wednesday Han Lay said that before going on stage, many of her compatriots had asked her to use the occasion to plead for the international community to help Myanmar.
"They asked me "Can you please fight for democracy when you're up on stage?' and I told them 'Yes, I will. I will stand on the stage and I speak out'," she said, wiping tears from her face.
Many people have expressed concern about her family's well–being since her speech on Saturday but Han Lay said she had been able to contact her family on Tuesday and they were still safe.
"I want to say to the UN [United Nations], what are you waiting for before you take action?
"So many people have died in Myanmar. The most important thing to do is just think about humanity and take action, please, immediately," she added.
An American journalist asked whether she was hoping for US involvement. Han Lay said so many people had died, the international community should intervene urgently.