Sarah Dzafce has lost her bid for the Miss Finland title after a social media post triggered international backlash. The 22-year-old beauty queen shared a photo of herself pulling the corners of her eyes, accompanied by the caption “eating with a Chinese.” The image was posted on 11 December and quickly spread across platforms.
Dzafce was Finland’s delegate to the Miss Universe pageant held in Thailand. She later claimed the gesture was a reaction to a headache during dinner. She said the offensive caption was added by a friend without her consent, according to the Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.
Despite the explanation, the photo went viral and drew intense criticism in several Asian countries. The BBC reported that users in Japan, South Korea, and China described the image as racist and disrespectful, increasing pressure on pageant organisers to act.
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo commented on the controversy, calling the gesture “thoughtless and ignorant.” He added that the incident and its fallout were damaging to Finland’s international image.
Dzafce issued a public apology following the backlash. However, some critics questioned its sincerity because the apology was written only in Finnish and not addressed to those most affected.
The issue escalated further when two right-wing Finnish MPs, Juho Eerola and Kaisa Garedew, posted photos of themselves mimicking the same gesture in support of Dzafce. Their posts were later deleted after receiving widespread criticism.
Eerola later apologised for his post but said he believed Dzafce had received disproportionately harsh punishment. The incident has since sparked broader debate in Finland about racism, responsibility, and the conduct of public figures.
