Fans of Myanmar hunk Paing Thakon, who went from pin-up boy to freedom fighter to junta captive, flocked to see him at his Yangon ice cream last night after he was freed.
The model and actor sported a messy beard and short hair as he smiled in photos with well-wishers outside his Crazy Cream ice cream sandwich shop in photos shared online last night.
Paing, 25, had been held almost a year after he joined anti-coup protests and used his celebrity to rally support for the cause. He has not responded to a message seeking comment. While he has been publicly silent since his release, his brother Sai Noom Pha Pha welcomed his return on Facebook.
“Welcome back my brother,” he wrote. “We’ve been missing you a lot.”
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Paing’s release was first confirmed yesterday by an actor friend, who posted a video chat of the two.
“I am so glad, my friend. Let’s meet up as soon as possible,” the actor, Lucas Dewar, says to Paing in the video.
Paing was released yesterday along with other celebrities who had been sentenced to three years in jail by the junta-controlled courts for protesting its rule. They included Pyay Ti Oo, Eindra Kyaw Zin, Lu Min, Wyne, and Win Min Than, according to military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun.
Paing, who has a large following in Thailand as well, had been actively participating in anti-coup protests following the putsch. He was among dozens of celebs thrown behind bars by the military.
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The junta spokesperson said they received amnesty but did not off any further details as to why they were released. An unidentified Malaysian national was also released Wednesday.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), a human rights organisation located in Mae Sot, Thailand, more than 1,500 people have been slain by security forces during anti-coup rallies across Myanmar, with 9,399 more held behind bars.
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