Myanmar politics: Kim Aris confirms mother's five-year isolation
The son of Aung San Suu Kyi reported on Thursday that she remains in good health but has had no family contact since the 2021 coup.
By Marco Kapoor ·
Kim Aris spoke with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Thursday for the first time in more than five years. The 81-year-old former state counsellor is in good physical and mental condition, according to Aris, who described her voice as strong and her mind as fully present during the call.
Aris, who lives in the United Kingdom, said he does not believe anyone other than military or police personnel is present with his mother. He concluded that she has effectively been held in solitary confinement since the junta removed her from power in 2021. The former Nobel Peace Prize laureate is currently held at an unspecified location in the capital, Naypyidaw, which Aris believes is a fenced residence surrounded by scrubby land.
The family call took place at the Myanmar embassy in London. Aris characterized the invitation as part of a public relations effort by the military leadership. General Min Aung Hlaing, the former junta chief, has been working to restore diplomatic ties abroad. He recently changed from military fatigues to civilian clothes following elections that were widely criticized as a sham.
Government officials released images of Suu Kyi last week. In the photos, she is smiling in a room with wooden paneling while receiving two gardening books gifted by King Charles III of Britain. A paper calendar on the wall behind her displayed the date. Aris called these photo opportunities familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment. He noted that she is not permitted access to newspapers, radio, or television.
Suu Kyi led Myanmar's brief democratic period after her party won the 2015 election overwhelmingly. Her international standing was tested after the 2016 and 2017 expulsions of Rohingya Muslims. At the International Court of Justice, she acknowledged that military units may have used disproportionate force while defending the government against genocide charges. Aris stated that his mother was never silent on the crisis and that the country appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a domestic inquiry under her leadership.
The 2021 military takeover triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris said global support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He argued that the international community's current lack of attention to Myanmar should not be attributed to the handling of the Rohingya issue. The 2021 coup ended a civilian-military power-sharing arrangement that had allowed Suu Kyi to serve as state counsellor.
