Who is myanmars leader

Subscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox. More from Reuters. Sign up for our newsletter Subscribe for our daily curated newsletter to receive the latest exclusive Reuters coverage delivered to your inbox. In she co-founded the NLD, and in she was placed under house arrest by the military regime, where she remained — on and off — until Even back then we were concerned there was a lack of any sort of ideology and everything was personality focused.

Once she was released from house arrest, things only worsened. Encouraged by the British embassy, she set up her own private office in her home separate from the NLD office and began to distance herself from many of the key NLD figures who had been her supporters. Even investor and philanthropist George Soros, who had been a huge funder of pro-democracy groups in Myanmar, struggled to get a meeting with her. She is a good speaker but not a good listener.

On a trip to the UK in , in a bid to demonstrate the importance of having a broad team of advisers, when Aung San Suu Kyi visited then foreign secretary William Hague, she was deliberately walked through offices filled with all his staff so she could be shown he did not work alone.

Similarly, when she met then Labour leader Ed Miliband, the decision was taken to introduce her not just to him but to the whole shadow cabinet and their advisers. Miliband even proposed that the NLD would become a sister party to Labour, though the agreement was never formalised. The NLD win in the elections led to the party having a parliamentary majority and Aung San Suu Kyi being appointed state counsellor, the equivalent of prime minister.

The global expectations placed on her were unrealistically high, said Benedict Rogers, leader of the east Asia team at human rights organisation CSW, who met Aung San Suu Kyi multiple times. Most decisions — big or small — have to go through her, making the Myanmar government a highly inefficient operation.

Even the limited expectations we had have not been met. The Rohingya Muslims have always been one of the most persecuted minorities in Myanmar but had long placed their faith in Aung San Suu Kyi as the leader who would at last treat them as rightful citizens.

Myanmar now faces a lawsuit accusing it of genocide at the International Court of Justice ICJ , while the International Criminal Court is investigating the country for crimes against humanity. Ms Suu Kyi's former international supporters accused her of doing nothing to stop rape, murder and possible genocide by refusing to condemn the still powerful military or acknowledge accounts of atrocities. A few initially argued that she was a pragmatic politician, trying to govern a multi-ethnic country with a complex history.

But her personal defence of the army's actions at the ICJ hearing in the Hague was seen as a new turning point for her international reputation.

At home, however, "the Lady", as Ms Suu Kyi is known, remains wildly popular among the Buddhist majority who hold little sympathy for the Rohingya.

During her time in power Ms Suu Kyi and the NLD government also faced criticism for prosecuting journalists and activists using colonial-era laws. While there was progress in some areas, the military continued to hold a quarter of parliamentary seats and controlled key ministries including defence, home affairs and border affairs. In August , Ms Suu Kyi described the generals in her cabinet as "rather sweet" and Myanmar's democratic transition, analysts said, appeared to have stalled.

The military coup came as the country was facing one of South East Asia's worst Covid outbreaks, putting new strains on an already impoverished healthcare system as lockdown measures devastate livelihoods. Yet Ms Suu Kyi remains popular. She may not have changed. She may have been consistent and we just didn't know the full complexity of who she is. Military coup in Myanmar as Suu Kyi detained. The Gambia files genocide case against Myanmar.

Rohingya homes destroyed for government facilities. Does Suu Kyi care about a free press? The country where Facebook posts whipped up hate. Suu Kyi 'should have resigned' on Rohingya. Suu Kyi on jailed journalists. Myanmar leader plaque will be removed. Aung San Suu Kyi stripped of Scots honour.

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How did this peace icon end up at a genocide trial? Myanmar coup: What is happening and why? Path to power. Image source, AFP. The Obama administration lifted sanctions on Myanmar in return for democratic reforms. Political pedigree. House arrest.