A Myanmar beauty queen
dethroned for alleged misconduct has said she would only return her crown if
South Korean pageant organisers apologised – and denied accepting free breast
implants.May Myat Noe, 16, was training to become a K-pop star in South Korea
after winning the Seoul-based Miss Asia Pacific
World beauty pageant in May.
But last week, the event organisers stripped her of the title
for alleged dishonesty. They accused her of absconding with the pricey crown as
well as the US$10,000 (RM31,590) breast implants, which they said they had
funded to enhance May’s budding singing career.
The beauty queen hit back yesterday and demanded an apology from
the organisers.“It is natural for me to feel that an apology should be demanded
to rectify the damage they have done to the integrity of my country,” she told
a packed press conference in Yangon. “I will return the crown only when they
apologise to Myanmar, for the dignity of our country.”
May also denied accepting free breast implants. “I was put under
duress to undergo head-to-toe cosmetic surgery which I refused... I didn’t have
breast implants, but I don’t want to go into details to preserve my dignity,”
she said.
Event organisers last week accused the teen of being hard to
manage, saying her behaviour had left them “very angry”. “She lied a lot to us
about many things. Our past queens also complained – because of her, their
reputations will suffer,” event spokesman David Kim said.
Myanmar women are eyeing success in international beauty
pageants as the country opens up after decades of military rule. Despite
undergoing sweeping political and social reforms, Myanmar remains a deeply
conservative nation.
However, new fashions and overseas products are creeping
steadily into the once cloistered nation, supported by a proliferation of
magazines for young consumers and an increasingly vibrant pop culture. Last
year, a US-educated business graduate was selected as the first Miss Universe
contestant to represent Myanmar in more than 50 years.
SOURCE: AFP
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