Htet Htet Moe Oo, 50, a two-time best Burmese actress on the Myanmar Academy Awards, disconnected from a live stream yesterday in which she was panned for insensitivity for peddling jewelry amid tough times in the country.
Htet Htet Moe Oo is best known as the “queen of advertisements” for her frequent appearances in television commercials during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Lately she has earned the “queen of live sales” label as she forayed into the realm of online marketing, particularly for luxury products, such as US$1,800 pieces of jewelry and luxury automobiles. While most people struggled, she made 4,000,000 MMK (US$2,400) per day during the COVID-19 outbreak last year.
Since the Feb. 1 coup, she has limited her public appearances due to an undisclosed health condition. That is, until she reappeared on Thursday.
“I think everyone can understand that Htet will be back to work from the health issues. I will be with Shwe Min Thar Jewelry at 3:30pm today,” she posted on her Facebook in the morning.
However, Htet’s stream was over within seconds of going live due to public outcry over her decision to promote luxury goods amid the COVID-19 crisis and the military takeover of the country.
“It’s not a good time now. People are suffering. They are not happy to buy jewellery,” commented a Facebook user.
“Everyone is starving and struggling. Expensive goods are being traded among the rich. Don’t sell them in public. Just create your own group with the rich and talk there,” another user commented.
Htet defended her ill-fated appearance.
“I want to talk about today. Although I was sick (I had been lying in bed for a month), I accepted the job because I wanted to build an oxygen [tank] plant for those who are in need due to COVID-19 diagnosis,” she explained to her audience a few hours later.
Htet also added that she made donations to schools with the money she earned from the previous live broadcasts, and she was also doing it for charity to help everyone at this time.
“I was saddened to be insulted even more. Please understand that there is a promise to donate and the work will continue. I wish you all the best,” she added.
As of this article’s publication, the actress’s Facebook profile appears to have been deactivated. The jewelry shop that hired her hasn’t issued a statement on the matter.
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