During her tenure as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar from 2014 to 2020, South Korean international human rights expert Yanghee Lee shed a harsh light on the Myanmar military’s abuses, including its brutality against ethnic and religious minorities across the country.
Lee also broadened the scope of her reporting to cover key issues arising from Myanmar’s quasi-democratic transition, including economic and land rights, gender issues, democratic space, legislative and constitutional reform, and transparency around the business interests of the Myanmar military. Her voice became particularly critical in 2016 and 2017 amid escalations of violence against the Rohingya in Rakhine State.
As Special Rapporteur, Lee was mandated to conduct biannual visits to Myanmar to assess the human rights situation. However, in December 2017, the government led by Aung San Suu Kyi voted to ban Lee from entering the country.
Subscribe for full access to
Get unlimited access to high-quality front-line reporting and support independent journalism.
Subscribe now
Already a subscriber? Sign in
