Although the crowned Miss Canada, Anastasia Lin, was born in China, she was barred from returning to the country of her birth to compete for the title of Miss World. The competition will take place in Sanya, China on Dec. 19. However, Lin was unable to obtain a visa ahead of time and was not permitted to board a plane to Sanya from Hong Kong when she attempted to get a visa upon landing. Though, it is normally granted by law to Canadian citizens visiting China.
It is Lin's belief that the reason for her denied entry into China is her outspoken platform of human rights, particularly the abuses that many are allegedly suffering in China. She is also a practitioner of Falun Gong, a spiritual group which takes the teachings of Buddhism and Chinese yoga that was outlawed by the Communist Party in 1999 and has since been labelled by the Chinese government as an "evil cult."
According to Lin, unlike all the other Miss World contenders from around the globe, she did not receive an official invitation from China to obtain a visa. However, she flew to Hong Kong and try to get one upon landing. But when she tried to transfer to a plane to get to Sanya, she was denied without an explanation.
Lin shared her disappointment on Facebook for being barred to represent Canada at the Miss World competition and voiced her bewilderment as to why the Chinese government would have anything to fear from an “acting student” and “beauty queen.”
But 25-year old Lin is more than just a pretty face. Part of her platform when she competed for the Miss Canada crown was to speak out against human rights violations in her native China. She has spoken before U.S. Congress about China, has written an op-ed piece about her views in “The Washington Post,” and will play an imprisoned member of Falun Gong in an upcoming Canadian film, “The Bleeding Edge.”
Lin also shared that her father, who still lives in China, was threatened after she became Miss Canada and was told to stop her advocacy for human rights or face the consequences. But rather than to keep quiet, Lin became more vocal about her advocacy – even if it will cost her a chance to win the Miss World title.
The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, Canada released a statement regarding Lin's visa status:
“China welcomes all lawful activities organized in China by international organizations or agencies, including the Miss World pageant. But China does not allow any persona non grata to come to China.”
Lin said it was a surprise to her that she was declared persona non grata in China and she even had to look it up on Wikipedia. However, she shared that she was happy to be in the company of bigger celebrities like Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, and even Richard Gere who share the same status.
In a promotional video for the pageant to earn votes for the People's Choice Award, Lin shared how eager she was to return to China and showcased the beauty of the land she grew up and how the multi-culturalism of Canada emboldened her to become a human rights activist.
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