Myanmar's Suu Kyi: Son details her life in a fenced compound after five years

For the first time in more than five years, Aung San Suu Kyi heard the voice of her son. Kim Aris, who has lived in the United Kingdom for most of his adult life, was permitted a phone call with his 81-year-old mother on Thursday. The conversation took place at the Myanmar embassy in London. Aris told reporters that his mother sounds physically strong and mentally alert.

Aris described the conditions of his mother’s confinement as near-total isolation. He believes she is held in a fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw, the capital, with a patch of scrubby land around it. According to Aris, the only people around her are military or police personnel. He stated that she has essentially been held in solitary confinement. She has no access to newspapers, radio, or television.

The former state counsellor was deposed in a military coup in 2021. Since then, she has been held at an unspecified location. Aris said he is not certain of the exact address but maintains it is within the capital. The call was part of a diplomatic effort by the current junta. Aris welcomed the chance to speak but noted the invitation felt like a public relations campaign by the military leaders.

Min Aung Hlaing, the former junta chief, has moved to rebuild international ties. In April, he switched from military fatigues to civilian clothes following elections that many observers called a sham. The government has recently released images of Suu Kyi smiling in a wood-panelled room. Officials handed her two gardening books that were gifts from Britain’s King Charles. A paper calendar on the wall behind her showed the date.

Activists have long demanded proof of life for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. She was photographed during a Red Cross visit in August. Aris described such photo opportunities as familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment. He argued that she remains completely shut off from the rest of the world. He said she is locked up on politically motivated charges and should be free.

Suu Kyi has spent much of her life in and out of house arrest since the late 1980s. Her party won a landslide victory in the 2015 election, leading to a brief democratic opening. Her international standing faced criticism after mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims in 2016 and 2017. At the International Court of Justice in The Hague, she acknowledged that military units might have used disproportionate force while defending the government against genocide accusations.

Aris said his mother was never silent on the Rohingya crisis. He noted that under her leadership, Myanmar began a domestic inquiry and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission. He described her position as state counsellor as walking on a tightrope, knowing the military could remove her fragile power at any time. The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris said global public support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He added that the lack of international attention to Burma now affects the entire country.