Pyae Lyan Aung (centre) poses with his teammate in an undated photo on his Facebook. (Photo take from Facebook Pyae Lyan Aung)
A goalkeeper for the Myanmar soccer team who raised a three-finger salute in protest at the military coup in the country during a World Cup qualifying match in Japan said Thursday he has chosen not to return home and will apply for refugee status.
Pyae Lyan Aung, 27, told reporters at Kansai airport in Osaka Prefecture that he has decided to stay in Japan as his “life would be at risk” if he returns home.
The player, who came on as a substitute in the May 28 game, was supposed to fly back home with his teammates on Wednesday night, but he told immigration authorities at the airport that he wanted to stay in Japan. He spoke to reporters in the early hours of Thursday.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.