Canada’s representative at the upcoming Miss World pageant, Anastasia Lin, says she has been denied the opportunity to compete at the competition scheduled for Sanya, China because she spoke out about the country’s human rights records.
Lin, who moved from China to Canada in 2003, won the chance to represent Canada at the Miss World competition after winning the Miss World, Canada event in May 2015.
She said she did not receive an invitation letter that would have made applying for a visa to the country impossible.
Other contestants got theirs in October, and the opening ceremony is scheduled for November 23.
In an interview with the BBC, Lin said: “Miss World’s official line is that if I don’t make it to the opening ceremony, I probably can’t enter this year. If I’m a few days late it might be OK, but the window is closing. At this point I don’t want to give up.”
Since the Miss World Canada pageant, Lin has become an outspoken advocate against China’s human rights violation records, especially regarding Falun Gong, a spiritual group that the Chinese government regards as a cult.
She has also performed in films about China’s human rights violations, especially regarding Falun Gong.