After nearly six years of detention following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, former leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke to her son Kim Aris by phone on Thursday. The 20-minute conversation marked their first direct contact since the military overthrew the democratically elected government she once led.
“And then I said all the family was sending their love and asked after her health,” Aris told NPR. He described the call as reassuring, noting that his 81-year-old mother sounded strong despite her long imprisonment.
Detention conditions in Naypyidaw
Aris, who lives in London, learned that his mother is being held at a residence in the capital, Naypyidaw. He described the location as a fenced-off property with a nondescript garden where she is allowed to go outside. According to Aris, the site is surrounded by police and military personnel.
He believes she is effectively in solitary confinement, even if she is not in a traditional prison cell. She is permitted to read books but has no access to radio, television, or newspapers. Aris suspects the military monitored the call, which limited the topics they could discuss.
“There’s nothing we could talk about that’s too sensitive,” Aris said. He recalled her previous years of house arrest between 1989 and 2010, when the regime would photograph parcels sent to her and use them for propaganda purposes.
Health remains a concern for the family. Aris said Suu Kyi suffers from tendonitis in her hand, which causes significant pain and limits her ability to use it. She receives medical checkups every six months. Aris also mentioned that food is cooked at the residence and sometimes delivered by her lawyers, though not directly to the premises.
International pressure and political context
Suu Kyi was initially sentenced in 2021 on corruption and electoral fraud charges. Consecutive trials through 2022 brought her total sentence to 33 years. The charges were widely condemned by the United States, Western nations, and human rights groups as fabricated. Her sentence was later reduced, leaving her with 18 years remaining.
The military-backed government released photographs of the phone call through the President Spokesperson Office. Khaing Khaing Soe, a spokesperson, confirmed the conversation took place through the Myanmar Embassy in London.
Aris believes the regime is attempting to improve its international image as coup leader Min Aung Hlaing travels abroad seeking legitimacy. Min Aung Hlaing was installed as president after a military-engineered election in January and remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses.
“It’s an indication that the military are wanting to present a better image of themselves, while actually giving very little,” Aris said. He urged governments not to be taken in by these tactics, noting that such strategies have been used for decades without resulting in meaningful change.
The call comes amid a brutal civil war that has killed approximately 100,000 people and displaced millions, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project. The U.S. State Department continues to call for Suu Kyi’s immediate and unconditional release, stating it remains concerned about everyone it considers unjustly detained.
Richard Horsey, a senior Asia adviser at the International Crisis Group, said Suu Kyi’s status is a valuable card for the military but one they are reluctant to play. He warned that her release is unlikely and would not end the war on its own.
Aris hopes to send care packages containing healthy and treat foods. He mentioned considering Ben’s Cookies, a brand founded in Oxford where Suu Kyi raised her two sons with her late husband, British scholar Michael Aris, before leaving for Burma in 1988.
He believes the call might be a one-off event. “She believes she gives the people of Burma strength by being there with them, going through what they are going through,” Aris said.
Source: NPR
