Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Publications
Referees
Timeline
Generic

Michelle Yesudas

Policy and advocacy adviser, campaigner

Summary

  • Twelve years of professional experience in regional human rights advocacy, campaign-building and technical support to a wide variety of stakeholders. Strong networks with members of civil society across the region.
  • Excellent written, policy analysis, and research skills. Strong organizational, technical and coordination skills, able to work in conflict/hostile environments. Experienced litigator and criminal defence lawyers for human rights defenders on matters of freedom of expression and assembly.
  • Experience in managing a diverse, international team, programme management and coordinating large-scale justice sector and rule of law programmes, in Myanmar, as well as Thailand.
  • A confident capacity building trainer, able to deliver trainings to diverse groups, from prosecutors, lawyers, LGBT persons to indigenous communities.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Languages

Work History

Director of Global Legal Initiatives

Outright International
09.2023 - Current
  • Developed high-performing teams by providing mentorship, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Cultivated a positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale.
  • Improved project efficiency with strategic planning, resource allocation, and time management practices.
  • Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.

Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Adviser for Myanmar

Humanity & Inclusion
02.2021 - Current
  • Providing policy and legal analysis to the organization and its partners on the evolving crisis in Myanmar, from restrictions on humanitarian aid and the provision of medical aid to beneficiaries in conflict areas;
  • Monitoring fast-paced changes in the legislative landscape during the coup-imposed emergency that violate civil and political rights and to provide local partners, beneficiaries, human rights defenders, journalists-at-risk, and humanitarian workers support and advice.
  • Developing and streamlining targeted advocacy and campaign strategies for targeted stakeholders within and outside of Myanmar, on issues of persons with disabilities, accountability of the military, internet shutdowns, and humanitarian aid access;

Senior Legal Expert (Lead on: Civil Society Organization Programmes)

International Commission of Jurists
03.2018 - 01.2021
  • Project lead on strengthening independent lawyers associations, networks and civil society movements in Myanmar. Developed strong relationships with community-based lawyers in conflict areas, provided human rights training, research and technical support to lawyers from all around the country, including conflict areas such as Rakhine, Wa State and the Independent Lawyers' Association of Myanmar. Several of these lawyers' networks now provide legal aid during the Civil Disobedience Movement in Myanmar.
  • Founder and coordinator of the ICJ Global Working Group on SOGIE and COVID-19 responses with members spanning 3 continents and more than 12 countries. Led the development of innovative field research, online research and strategic campaigns to platform LGBT Human Rights Defenders around the world during the pandemic.
  • Implemented a large-scale 10 million USD programme with trainings and events throughout Myanmar to members of civil society on documentation, monitoring, and strategic campaigns on business and human rights violations, worked closely to provide technical advice to the Myanmar Supreme Court and the Union Attorney General's Office.

Campaigner for Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei

Amnesty International
01.2016 - 01.2018
  • Company Overview: International Secretariat
  • Worked closely with members of civil society in the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia and coordinated global campaigns on a wide range of issues, from freedom of expression, accountability for extrajudicial killings, the abolition of the death penalty, and on the protection of human rights defenders.
  • Monitored, documented human rights abuses, carried out investigative field research in the Philippines with survivors of the 'War on Drugs' (see publications), with indigenous land rights defenders in Malaysia, carried out consultations and developed strong relationships and networks with stakeholders, such as national human rights institutions, lawyers associations, lawmakers, and local indigenous communities.
  • Developed tools for monitoring and documenting ongoing court cases on freedom of speech, assembly, and legislative harassment experienced by human rights defenders in Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, with firsthand experience of litigating on public interest cases on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and death penalty cases.
  • International Secretariat

Legal/Campaign Coordinator

Lawyers for Liberty
01.2013 - 12.2016
  • Provided probono legal representation to human rights defenders and lawmakers arrested and targeted under laws criminalizing sedition and peaceful assembly. Coordinated ad-hoc urgent legal aid services for activists attending mass rallies, experienced in public interest litigation, constitutional law, and legal research.
  • Developed flexible 'out of court' strategic campaigns to complement 'in court' public interest litigation efforts, in response to different harassment tactics by authorities. Founded the Movement to Abolish the Sedition Act, led on several national-level campaigns on death in custody and on the use of torture.
  • Represented the organization at the international level, at side events at the UN Human Rights Council on Free Speech, confident with engaging with national and international media, experienced in developing urgent legal analysis and lobbying lawmakers on a wide range of issues.

Education

Masters in International Development Law - Human Rights

Warwick University
01.2011 - 01.2012

Certificate of Legal Practice - Malaysian Bar Exam Equivalent

Brickfields Asia College

Bachelor of Laws - undefined

University of London
01.2006 - 01.2009

Cambridge A-Levels - undefined

KDU College

Admitted to the Malaysian Bar - undefined

Skills

Problem-solving

Project management

Operations management

Team management

Publications

2024

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law in Asia

Oxford Handbook of LGBTI Law (Andreas Ziegler et al., eds. Forthcoming), Yesudas and Holning Lau


2023
“Persons with disabilities in Myanmar: Forgotten agents of change in a forgotten crisis.” February 2023,
Factsheet (Limited Dissemination), available upon request, Humanity and 

Inclusion (Lead Author).


2022
“Use of armed violence in Myanmar: the challenge of protecting civilians amidst escalating humanitarian needs.” February 2022, Factsheet (Limited Dissemination), available upon request, ,
Humanity and Inclusion, (Lead Author).

2021
“Living in times of coup, conflicts and, COVID-19 in Myanmar: impact on persons with disabilities.” June 2021, Case
Study (Limited Dissemination), available upon request, Humanity and Inclusion,
(Lead Author).

2020

“Invisible, isolated and ignored: human rights abuses based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression in Colombia, South
Africa, and Malaysia.” March 2021, Report, International Commission of Jurist, (Lead Author).

“Challenges to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Malaysia.” March 2019, Report, International Commission of
Jurists, (Lead Author)

2019

Lead author for the ICJ report: In the Shadows: Systemic Injustice Based on Sexual Orientation and Identity/Expression in Myanmar


Co-authored the report:

Philippines: “If you are poor, you are killed”: Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines’ “War on Drugs”, Amnesty International (January 2017)


Malaysia: “The Forest is our Heartbeat”: The Struggle to Defend Indigenous Land In Malaysia”, Amnesty International (November 2018)

Referees

Livio Zilli

Senior Legal Adviser,
UN Representantive International Commission of Jurists
livio.zilli@icj.org


EDMUND BON
Head of Chambers (Civil) at AmerBon
Malaysian AICHR Representative

ebon@AmerBON.com


U Aung Kyaw Moe 

Deputy Minister of human rights at NUG

aungkyawmoe@ak-moe.com


Timeline

Director of Global Legal Initiatives

Outright International
09.2023 - Current

Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Adviser for Myanmar

Humanity & Inclusion
02.2021 - Current

Senior Legal Expert (Lead on: Civil Society Organization Programmes)

International Commission of Jurists
03.2018 - 01.2021

Campaigner for Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei

Amnesty International
01.2016 - 01.2018

Legal/Campaign Coordinator

Lawyers for Liberty
01.2013 - 12.2016

Masters in International Development Law - Human Rights

Warwick University
01.2011 - 01.2012

Bachelor of Laws - undefined

University of London
01.2006 - 01.2009

Certificate of Legal Practice - Malaysian Bar Exam Equivalent

Brickfields Asia College

Cambridge A-Levels - undefined

KDU College

Admitted to the Malaysian Bar - undefined

Michelle YesudasPolicy and advocacy adviser, campaigner