Rani Yan Yan

Rani Yan Yan (born 1984) is an Indigenous human rights defender and women's rights activist from Bangladesh, serving as the advisor to the Chakma Circle Chief. In 2014, she married Devasish Roy, the Chakma Circle Chief, and has since been known as Rani Yan Yan.

Career As the Chakma Rani (queen) and advisor to the Chakma Circle Chief, she has effectively advocated for the appointment of more women as headmen and karbaris (traditional leaders), ensuring women's rights are upheld within the traditional system.

In 2018, while supporting two Indigenous teenage girls who had been sexually assaulted, Rani Yan Yan was attacked.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she promoted simple, low-cost water supply systems to encourage handwashing in remote Indigenous communities, addressing health and food security challenges.

In recognition of her efforts, Rani Yan Yan was honored with the Global Anti-Racism Champions Award by the U.S. Department of State in 2023.

On 6 April 2026, the Rangamati District Magistrate, on the directive of the Ministry of Home Affairs, issued a formal caution to Yan Yan, accusing her of spreading "false and misleading information" against the Bangladeshi government and military. Yan Yan's lawyers denied the accusations and requested the caution be withdrawn. The human rights organisation Front Line Defenders described the caution as being "directly connected" to Yan Yan's human rights activism.

Personal life In her personal life, Rani Yan Yan practices Buddhism and was once ordained as a female monastic. In 2014, Rani Yan Yan returned to Bangladesh after obtaining a bachelor's degree in development studies from the University of Adelaide in Australia. born to U Maung Rhee and Daw Pu Mya Khine.