UN human rights envoy to Burma, Yanghee Lee, is currently in the country for her third official visit since assuming the role in June 2014.
Lee, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burma, will meet government officials, civil society representatives and other stakeholders during her five-day trip to assess progress on human rights in the country.
“[Burma] is at an important juncture. I will continue to carry out the functions of my mandate in a balanced, impartial, and transparent manner,” Lee said prior to her trip, according to a UN press release.
Lee’s visit will also involve gathering information on the electoral process ahead of Burma’s much-anticipated national poll on November 8.
The Special Rapporteur endured a challenging last visit to the country in January, with Burma’s Foreign Ministry issuing a statement accusing her of “selectivity” and infringing on state sovereignty.
She was also infamously labeled a “whore” and a “bitch” by hardline nationalist monk U Wirathu—comments that Lee said the government should have condemned.
Lee will hold a press conference on Friday, the final day of her August 3-7 trip. She will submit a report to the UN General Assembly in October.
