Aung San Suu Kyi reports good health after five years of confinement
Her son Kim Aris made his first phone call with the former Myanmar leader on Thursday and described her isolation in Naypyidaw.
By Sakura Novak ·
Aung San Suu Kyi, the 81-year-old former leader of Myanmar, is in stable physical and mental condition but remains largely alone, according to her son. Kim Aris spoke to her by telephone on Thursday, marking their first conversation in more than five years.
Aris said he heard that his mother sounds strong and clear-headed. He stated that he believes she is surrounded only by military or police personnel. Based on this information, he characterized her situation as solitary confinement.
The former Nobel Peace Prize winner was removed from power in a 2021 military coup. She has since been held in a fenced residence in Naypyidaw, the capital city. Aris noted that he is still not certain of the exact location but described the grounds as having scrubby land surrounding the building.
The call took place at the Myanmar embassy in London. Aris said the military leaders invited the conversation as part of a public relations effort. He connected this move to broader diplomatic attempts by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing to improve the country's standing abroad. Hlaing switched from military uniforms to civilian clothes in April following elections that many observers criticized as a sham.
Activists have long sought visual confirmation of Suu Kyi's wellbeing. In August, she was photographed during a Red Cross visit. Last week, a government spokesperson released images of her smiling in a room with wood paneling. Officials were seen handing her two gardening books from Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar on the wall displayed the current date. Aris called such photo releases familiar stunts used to show the regime treats her fairly.
Aris said his mother has no access to newspapers, radio, or television. He described her detention as the result of politically motivated charges. He noted that she has spent much of her life under house arrest since the late 1980s for leading pro-democracy movements.
The 2021 takeover started a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris said global support for his mother has decreased since the Rohingya crisis. He argued that the lack of international attention to Burma's current state should not stem from that earlier event.
