Miss World Canada, 2015, has told TVNZ1's Breakfast today about threats to her family after speaking out about China's record on human rights.
Chinese born Anastasia Lin has been making headlines around the world for her fierce advocacy for human rights and has been barred from China. The 28-year-old moved to Toronto Canada with her mother, aged 13.
Lin testified to US congress in 2015 about China's human rights conditions, telling Breakfast today, "The Chinese government doesn’t like people who are born in China to talk about China's human rights issues."
"I grew up in China and there are a lot of news that I didn’t get a chance to hear over there l... massacre, persecution of minorities."
Last month reports have emerged about the Uyhurs - an ethnic Muslim minority in China being captured and held in camps .
Lin told Breakfast when she lived in China there was a lot of news she wasn’t exposed to and issues she was hidden from until she moved to Canada.
Lin says her father received threats from Chinese authorities after she won the Miss World Canada crown.
"They said if your daughter continues to talk about these issues we will persecute you, which means public humiliation and (being) thrown into jail."
"Miss World Canada was the platform I aimed for. For me the crown was like Wonder woman's armour, I felt like it would block away the evil but that it not the case, I have to dodge the bullet myself."
She says she will continue to stand up to those who silence her and stand up for those who are silenced.
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