5. Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero Aung San, became a symbol of peaceful resistance against the military junta. In 1988, she returned to Myanmar and led a nonviolent struggle for democracy and human rights, founding the National League for Democracy (NLD). In 1990, the NLD won a decisive electoral victory, but the military refused to transfer power, leading to Suu Kyi’s house arrest. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance. After her release in 2010, she continued her political activities, and in 2015, the NLD secured a majority in the legislature. Suu Kyi served as State Counsellor from 2016 until her ousting in a military coup in 2021. Her legacy remains complex amid recent controversies, including her response to the Rohingya crisis.
