This swimmer gave up his Olympic dream to make a statement Will others follow? sbs.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sbs.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Ben Dooley and Hisako Ueno, The New York Times
Published: 04 Jul 2021 10:56 AM BdST
Updated: 04 Jul 2021 10:56 AM BdST Ko Pyae Lyan Aung, a professional soccer player, on a practice field in Osaka, Japan, June 26, 2021. After defying Myanmar’s military rulers at a soccer match, Pyae Lyan Aung decided to seek asylum. But he was being watched. (Shiho Fukada/The New York Times)
The soccer player’s plane was at the gate. Ahead of him stood his last chance at safety. );
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The athlete, Ko Pyae Lyan Aung, had come to Japan with Myanmar’s national team. On the field, before the first match, he had flashed a gesture of defiance the three-finger salute made famous by “The Hunger Games” against the military junta that had ousted his country’s elected government. He was now afraid of what might happen if he returned home.
Myanmar swimmer to forgo Tokyo Olympics in protest at junta violence
A Myanmar swimmer will skip the Tokyo Olympics in protest against the coup perpetrated by his country s military, saying he will not represent his nation when hundreds of protesters have been killed by authorities.
Win Htet Oo, a 26-year-old freestyle swimmer, said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on April 10 that he will not participate in the Tokyo Games at a time when the military junta continues its violent crackdown that has killed unarmed civilians, including some athletes. Photo taken in December 2019 shows Win Htet Oo at the Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. (Photo from Win Htet Oo s Facebook page)(Kyodo)