Finland’s delegate to last month’s Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand has sparked a racism firestorm over a viral photo that showed her pulling the corners of her eyes.
Sarah Dzafce, who has been dethroned, uploaded the photo with the caption “eating with a Chinese”. The slanted-eyes pose is often seen as disrespectful to East Asians.
The post drew backlash in Japan, South Korea and China against the 22-year-old and even against her country’s flag carrier, Finnair.
Back home in Finland, the prime minister said on Monday making such gestures was “thoughtless and stupid” and that the controversy that ensued was “damaging” to the country.
Ms Dzafce claimed the gesture was her reaction to a headache during dinner. She said a friend added the offensive caption to the 11 December post without her consent, according to local tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Ms Dzafce has apologised for the photo, noting it has “caused ill will in many people”.
“That was not my intention in any way… One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences,” she wrote on an Instagram post.
The apology still drew criticism, with some calling it “insincere” given it was written in Finnish.
“Not sure Chinese outside of Finland would understand it. Such considerate and sincere apology,” one wrote in a comment on her post.
Another wrote: “That was uncalled for, Asian people didn’t do anything to you… We [are] still disappointed in you.”
Two right-wing MPs in Finland, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos of themselves mimicking Ms Dzafce’s gesture to show their support for the beauty queen.
The posts were taken down after backlash. Eerola apologised adding he felt Ms Dzafce was given “disproportionately harsh punishment”.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo condemned the MPs’ actions as “childish”, adding that lawmakers should set an example of proper conduct.
The Finns Party is deliberating whether the MPs should face any sanctions for their actions, local media reported.
Finland’s flag carrier Finnair told public broadcaster Yle that the controversy had affected the company, and that there had been calls for tourists to boycott Finland.
“The statements or posts mentioned by some Finnish members of parliament do not represent the values of Finnair,” the airline wrote on its Japanese X account on Tuesday.
“As an airline supported by employees from diverse backgrounds and customers around the world, we promise to welcome everyone with respect,” it wrote.
The debacle has also drawn attention in Japan, South Korea and China, among other East Asian countries.
A Japanese man living in Finland launched an petition calling for an investigation into anti-Asian discrimination, which had gathered more than 7,000 signatures as of Sunday evening, the Asahi Shimbun reported.
The Finnish embassy in Japan said it had received “numerous opinions and questions” on Finland’s efforts to address racism.
“Racism remains a challenge in Finnish society, and its resolution requires continuous and resolute efforts,” it acknowledged in an X post early this week.
The controversy around Ms Dzafce is a postscript to a chaotic Miss Universe audition hosted in Thailand that had been hounded by walkouts and allegations of rigging.
The Miss Finland Organisation said dethroning Ms Dzafce was a “difficult but necessary” move.
“Miss Finland holds a position of role-model status, which requires respecting all people regardless of their origin, background, or appearance,” the organisation said in a statement.
“We are deeply sorry for the harm these events have caused. Especially to the Asian community, but also to everyone affected. Racism is never acceptable in any form,” it wrote.
