Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

A woman who co-ordinated disaster relief work in Myanmar and helped monks flee Government crackdowns there has won refugee status in New Zealand.

The businesswoman from Yangon, who has not been named, took part in large-scale demonstrations and facilitated meetings between foreign activists and the pro-democracy opposition, including its leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The woman changed money on the black market to help monks during their protests in 2007 and so they could buy and transport food rations for victims of last year's cyclone.

The Refugee Status Appeals Authority says it has no doubt that there is a real risk to the woman's safety if she returns to Myanmar.

The authority also criticised the denial of legal aid for her appeal.