Myanmar Detention: Son Reports Mother's Health After Five-Year Silence

Kim Aris spoke to his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, for the first time in over five years on Thursday from the Myanmar embassy in London. Aris, who resides in the United Kingdom, reported that the 81-year-old former leader appears to be in good physical and mental health. He stated that she sounds strong and mentally present, though he believes she is held in solitary confinement by military or police personnel.

Aris described her location as an unspecified, fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw, Myanmar's capital, surrounded by scrubby land. He noted that she is cut off from the rest of the world, with no access to newspapers, radio, or television. The former state counsellor was deposed in a 2021 military coup and has faced politically motivated charges since that takeover.

The phone call was part of a public relations campaign by the country's military leadership, according to Aris. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has recently sought to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, Hlaing switched from military fatigues to civilian clothes following elections that were widely condemned as a sham. Aris welcomed the conversation but viewed the invitation as a strategic move by the regime.

Government officials recently released images of Suu Kyi smiling in a wood-paneled room while receiving two gardening books from Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar in the background confirmed the date of the visit. Aris characterized these photo opportunities as familiar stunts used to suggest fair treatment. He also referenced a Red Cross visit in August where Suu Kyi was photographed.

Activists have long demanded proof of life for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. She has spent much of her life in house arrest since the late 1980s for leading pro-democracy movements. The 2021 coup triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Suu Kyi's international standing suffered after the 2016 and 2017 killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims, though Aris argued she was never silent on the crisis.

Aris said global support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He noted that the whole country suffers from a lack of international attention. Using the country's former name, he said the fact that people ignore what is happening in Burma should not be attributed to what was being done to the Rohingya.

He added that Suu Kyi was always walking on a tightrope as state counsellor, knowing the military could remove her fragile power at any time. The army worked to undermine her position during the civilian-military power-sharing arrangement.