There’s a fierce battle being fought in Myanmar: between tradition and modernity; modesty and exhibitionism; longyis and bikinis.
The team behind Miss Universe Myanmar beauty pageant, held in Yangon on October 3, are bidding for official permission to broadcast the whole uncensored show – including the controversial swimsuit section – for the first time.
“Even if the authorities don’t allow the swimsuit portion to be broadcast, we will be live-broadcasting all other rounds of the competition on TV,” Soe Oo, one of the organizers, told the Myanmar Times.
The swimsuit segment has been cut from the broadcast in previous years but was screened last year during another pageant, Miss International 2015.
Viewers were so scandalized that organizers were forced to apologize in a government-owned newspaper.
Beauty pageants were banned for years under the former ruling military junta, and the first Miss Universe Myanmar wasn’t held until 2013.
“It’s not proper for the audience to see – even though it is a contest. I think the girls can compete and show the beauty of their bodies while staying covered,” Ma Yu Win, a 40-year-old pageant fan from Pathein, told the Times.
But Sharr Htut Eaindra, last year’s Miss Universe Myanmar winner, said the swimsuit section – which whittles the field of competitors down from 20 to 10 – was an important part of the contest.
“It’s important because it emphasizes the value of confidence,” she said.
Twenty women from across the country – including seven from Yangon – are competing for this year’s title.
Bikini or no bikini, it’s safe to say they’re all gorgeous.
Photos / Facebook / Miss Universe Myanmar
