Finland’s Prime Minister has apologized to Asian nations for “offensive” social media posts made by a former Miss Universe contestant and several members of parliament.
The controversy erupted after the winner of this year’s Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, posted a picture on social media earlier this month of her pulling the corners of her eyes alongside the caption “eating with a Chinese person.”
Her racist gesture quickly drew condemnation online before it was deleted and Dzafce, who is not of Asian origin, subsequently apologized.
But after the 22-year-old was stripped of her Miss Finland title last week, several members of the far-right Finns Party, posted similar images of themselves making the same gesture in an apparent show of support.
This prompted Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to sincerely apologize for the “offensive” posts made by the lawmakers whose party is one of four that make up Finland’s governing coalition.
In a statement published on Wednesday by the Finnish embassies in Japan, China, and South Korea, Orpo said the posts “run counter to the values of equality and inclusion that Finland upholds.”
“Racism and discrimination have no place in Finnish society,” he added. “The message we convey to the people of Finland and to all our friends abroad is clear: the Finnish Government takes racial discrimination seriously and is committed to addressing it.”
His statement came just over a week after Dzarfe issued her own apology in a statement posted to Instagram.
“One of the most important things for me is respect for people, their backgrounds and differences,” she wrote, adding, “I take responsibility for my actions and will learn from this.”
But apology was not enough to prevent her being stripped of her title by the Miss Finland organization on Saturday. In a statement posted to Instagram, it said that the content she published was “offensive, harmful and completely against the values” of the pageant.
“The events of recent days have caused deep hurt, disappointment, and concern both in Finland and internationally,” it added.
Dzarfe did not immediately respond when NBC News reached out for further comment on Thursday.
However, the decision angered several members in the Finns Party, including lawmakers Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, and a Finnish European Parliament member Sebastian Tynkkynen, all of whom shared similar images online in solidarity with Dzarfe.
NBC News has reached out to all three parliamentarians for comment.
Eerola has since apologized, telling the Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun on Monday that he was “deeply sorry that my photo caused offense to Asian people.”
The Finns Party plans to discuss the matter at a weekly meeting on Thursday, according to Finland’s national broadcaster Yle.
The scandal is the latest incident linked to this year's turbulent Miss Universe contest hosted in Thailand, where organizers have faced walkouts and accusations of rigging.
