Inmates had their hair styled, makeup done and dressed as beauty queens before strutting out for pageants in three prisons in southern Myanmar.
The contests held at jails in Tanintharyi region’s Myeik, Kawthaung and Dawei townships on January 4 were designed to bring cheer to the prisoners who have been unable to receive family visits because of Covid-19 restrictions, according to prison staff.
Saw Moe Shwe, assistant director of Myeik Prison, told news outlet Daily Eleven that relatives would also be worried about the inmates because of the pandemic.
“We just wanted to assure them everything was okay and to sort of de-stress them. We [men] weren't allowed to the show, to avoid making them feel uncomfortable,” he said.
“Our female colleagues judged the competition, and we came to give the awards. They may be imprisoned but they are human and have good hearts."
Khaing Myae Kyaw Kyaw, a former Prisons Department employee, posted on his Facebook page that the pageants were “a new milestone in reforms by the Prison Department” and a way to boost inmates’ mental health.
In Myeik Prison, 25 contestants vied for the crown, with the winners reportedly awarded “food” as their prize, according to Daily Eleven. (We hope the runners-up were also fed).
