Miss World Canada contestant stopped from entering China for pageant
Anastasia Lin believes she is being penalized for her Falun Gong beliefs and says she is fighting for freedom
FRANK GUNN / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Anastasia Lin says she is being barred from a beauty pageanrt in China because of her Falun Gong beliefs.
Scarborough resident Anastasia Lin has been barred from competing in the Miss World pageant in China.
“My denial was unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected,” Lin, 25, said. She released a prepared statement on Thursday morning after she wasn’t allowed to board a plane from Hong Kong to Sanya, China, host city of the 2015 Miss World competition.
She said she was not given a reason why she wasn’t allowed to board the plane.
Lin, a classically-trained pianist and actress, is a follower of the Falun Gong group, a meditation system that is outlawed in China.
“The Chinese government has barred me from the competition for political reasons. They are trying to punish me for my beliefs and prevent me from speaking out about human rights issues.”
She said in her statement that many others have had similar experiences over several years, as “the Chinese government has used the threat of visa denials to punish dissidents or anyone with unapproved views, and to bring academics and journalists to heel.”
Lin said in her statement that, unlike the other Miss World contestants, she did not receive an invitation letter from the Chinese organizers.
“I was never given an explanation as to why I did not receive the letter. Under Chinese law, however, Canadian citizens are eligible to obtain a landing visa upon arrival in Sanya, so I decided to try attending anyway.”
In her press release, Lin continues: “The slogan of the Miss World competition is ‘Beauty with a purpose.’ My purpose is to advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves — those who suffer in prisons and labour camps, or whose voices have been stifled by repression and censorship. I also want to give courage to all people living under repressive systems. Many of them have lived in fear for so long that they have forgotten that they can think freely.
“This is a very personal cause for me. When I was a child growing up in China, my job as a student council president involved enforcing ideological purity among my classmates, organizing them to watch Communist propaganda. It was only after I moved to Canada that I discovered what it meant to think freely, to use my own mind, and to live without fear of arbitrary punishment or reprisal.”
Lin praised Canada for helping her learn about freedom.
“I also learned about the severe persecution that people in China face for following these values. Hundreds of thousands of peaceful and law-abiding people have been imprisoned and tortured, and many have died or disappeared in custody after they refused to renounce their beliefs and swear allegiance to the Communist Party.”
Lin praised the courage of Chinese citizens who maintain their convictions, despite government pressure.
“They refuse to be silenced or submit to fear and coercion. They have the courage to live in accordance with their conscience, no matter the price.
“Their courage is a constant source of inspiration to me.”
http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2015/11/26/miss-world-canada-contestant-barred-from-pageant-in-china.html
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