Myanmar’s Miss Universe entrant in 2016 has set her sights set on some serious civic engagement

By Coconuts Yangon Feb. 4, 2019

Miss Universe Myanmar 2016, posing with Burmese puppets via Htet Htet Tun Facebook Page, February 2017.

Htet Htet Htun is running for the YCDC Development Committee, the Yangon administrative body responsible for city planning, land administration, tax collection, and development, she announced on her Facebook page this weekend.

“I am extending my hand to help improve our country as a young person. While I’m working on benefitting my country, I want to become someone useful,” she wrote in a Facebook post sharing a local outlet’s story about the decision.

If you’re wondering how a pageant queen might be attracted to the at-times drab world of municipal government, it runs in the family.

Her father, Dr. Tin Htun, was the former western district vice president for the YCDC back in 2014, and currently runs a charity clinic.

In an interview with 7Daily, she talked about her motivation for running and her father’s influence.

“My father wanted me to run. After I represented Myanmar as Miss Universe, I felt like I fulfilled my responsibility as a citizen, then I started thinking about what I could do as Miss Universe Myanmar. I want to work on benefitting the people of Myanmar,” she told the Burmese-language outlet.

She currently runs her own modeling agency, the somewhat oddly named Model Museum Myanmar, as well as her own event management company, Nine Event Planner. Additionally, she’s a TV show host and actress.

While the career shift might seem like a bit of a curveball, her fans seem to think she’ll pull it off, posting comments of support and love for her campaign on her Facebook post.

https://coconuts.co/yangon/news/myanmars-miss-universe-entrant-2016-set-sights-set-serious-civic-engagement/