蜜芽传媒

Myanmar has been in chaos and economic paralysis since the military ousted the civilian government in February, leading to mass protests and a brutal crackdown that has killed at least 800 people. Protesters inside the country, who are under increasing pressure, also receive support from prominent citizens of Myanmar abroad. One of those is swimmer Win Htet Oo. He moved to Australia to focus on his training and was hoping to represent Myanmar at next month's Olympics in Tokyo, but will now rule himself out of selection for the Games.

This is a significant sacrifice for the 26-year-old, given the short career spans of competitive swimmers, but Win Htet Oo says, "until the military is removed from power, until the Myanmar Olympic Committee can be free of the military's influence, I have to show solidarity with the people in Myanmar whose dreams have also disappeared".

Photo: Myanmar swimmer Win Htet Oo at a pool in Melbourne, Australia Credit: Reuters