Aung San Suu Kyi

Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician and diplomat who served as State Counsellor of Myanmar from 2016 to 2021. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate, she was a prominent figure in Myanmar's pro-democracy movement. She is newsworthy because she remains detained following the February 2021 military coup that ousted her government. Recent news focuses on the military junta's widely criticized and allegedly fraudulent election, which the military-backed party won in a landslide. Despite being behind bars for 20 years cumulatively, including the last five since the coup, Suu Kyi continues to be a significant figure. Her detention and the dissolution of her party highlight the suppression of democracy in Myanmar, even as the junta attempts to legitimize its rule through elections. The ongoing civil war and the international community's response, particularly ASEAN's efforts to promote peace, further underscore her relevance.