Aung San Suu Kyi Isolated for 5 Years, Son Says
Kim Aris spoke with his 81-year-old mother via the Myanmar embassy in London, reporting that she is in good health but cut off from all outside media.
By Pedro Barnes ·
Aung San Suu Kyi remains in strict isolation and good physical condition, according to her son, who completed his first telephone conversation with the former leader in over five years. Kim Aris reported the news after a brief call arranged through the Myanmar diplomatic mission in London on Thursday. He assessed that his 81-year-old mother is mentally sharp and physically strong, despite her confinement.
Aris stated that he believes his mother is surrounded only by military or police staff. This arrangement effectively places her in solitary confinement within a secure compound in Naypyidaw. The former Nobel laureate was removed from power during the 2021 military coup and subsequently moved to this unspecified location in the capital. Aris described the site as a fenced-off residence bordered by scrubby land.
The call occurred as the military junta seeks to restore diplomatic relations. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the junta, recently transitioned from military fatigues to civilian attire following elections that many observers criticized as a sham. Aris acknowledged the timing of the call, describing it as part of a public relations effort by the country's military leadership to project an image of stability.
Activists have long demanded visual evidence of the former leader’s well-being. In August, the International Committee of the Red Cross photographed her during a visit. Last week, a government spokesperson shared images of Suu Kyi smiling in a wood-paneled room. In those photos, officials presented two gardening books given to her by King Charles of Britain. A calendar on the wall behind her displayed the current date. Aris characterized these photo releases as familiar tactics used by the regime to suggest fair treatment.
“She remains completely shut off from the rest of the world,” Aris said. He noted that she is barred from reading newspapers or listening to radio and television broadcasts. He argued that she has been detained for five years on politically motivated charges and should be released. Suu Kyi has faced periods of house arrest since the late 1980s for her leadership of pro-democracy movements.
Myanmar experienced a brief period of democratic governance after Suu Kyi’s party won the 2015 election. She served as state counsellor under a power-sharing deal with the military. Her international reputation was damaged by the 2016 and 2017 crackdowns on Rohingya Muslims. At the International Court of Justice, she defended the government against genocide charges while acknowledging that military units might have used disproportionate force.
Aris countered that his mother was vocal about the Rohingya crisis, stating that her comments could fill volumes. He noted that her administration initiated a domestic inquiry and appointed former United Nations chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission. He added that she walked a tightrope as state counsellor, aware that the military could dismantle her limited authority at any moment. The 2021 takeover ignited a civil war that conflict monitors report has claimed more than 100,000 lives.
Aris observed that global support for his mother has declined since the Rohingya crisis. He warned that the country is suffering from a lack of international attention. Using the nation’s former name, he stated that the world’s indifference to current events in Burma should not be attributed to past events involving the Rohingya.
