Former Myanmar beauty queen takes up arms against military junta
Htar Htet Htet competed against 60 other contestants in the first Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2013,
A former Myanmar beauty queen has joined ethnic rebels in the country's fight against the military junta, sharing images of herself with an assault weapon on social media.
Since the military seized power on February 1, ousting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been in turmoil and its economy has been paralyzed.
Htar Htet Htet competed against 60 other contestants in the first Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2013, participating in the swimsuit and national costume rounds, reports AFP.
Eight years later, the glitz and glitter of Hollywood is a far cry from the jungles of Myanmar's border regions, which are dominated by ethnic armed groups.
This week, the 32-year-old gymnastics instructor dressed in black military fatigues and wielding an assault rifle posted a photo to her Facebook page.
She wrote on Facebook, "The time has come to strike 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," Htar Htet Htet wrote from an unknown border territory.
This year's Miss Grand Myanmar contestant Han Lay has also been an outspoken critic of the military junta.
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.
They have shot demonstrators in the streets, arrested people in night raids, locked up journalists and ordered internet outages.
Thousands of people from urban parts of Myanmar have fled to border regions, including many with links to Suu Kyi's political party and others facing arrest for their involvement in the protest movement and labour strikes.
Ethnic armed rebel groups have stepped up attacks on the military and police in recent months, raising fears of Myanmar spiralling into broader civil conflict.
The military has retaliated with air strikes that have displaced tens of thousands of civilians.
