Myanmar beauty queen lands in Canada after Thai airport limbo

Tara Min, 8, awaits the arrival of Myanmar's exiled beauty queen Han Lay at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Myanmar beauty queen, who had spoken out against military rule in her country and became stranded at Thailand's airport, said she was relieved but remained defiant after landing in Toronto on Wednesday.

Han Lay captured global attention last year with her pageant speech on the army's deadly suppression of anti-junta protests. After spending the past year in Thailand, she was denied re-entry into the country after a brief exit and spent days in Bangkok airport, pleading on social media not to be sent back home.