Suu Kyi Son Reports Mother In Good Health After Five Years Of Isolation

Myanmar’s former state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has been held in near-total isolation for five years, her son confirmed on Saturday. The 81-year-old former leader is reportedly in good physical and mental condition, though she has had no contact with family members since her detention began.

Kim Aris, who lives in the United Kingdom, spoke to reporters after a phone call with his mother on Thursday. He stated that she sounds strong and mentally sharp. Aris said he believes she is surrounded only by military and police personnel, meaning she has effectively been in solitary confinement.

The former Nobel Peace Prize laureate was deposed in a military coup in 2021. She has since been moved to an unspecified location in the capital, Naypyidaw. Aris described the site as a fenced-off residence with scrubby land surrounding it. He said he is not certain of the exact location but maintains she remains in that compound.

Aris was permitted to speak to his mother at the Myanmar embassy in London. He welcomed the chance to talk but characterized the invitation as part of a public relations campaign by the country's military leaders. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, he changed into civilian clothes after elections that were widely criticized as a sham.

The military government released images of Suu Kyi last week. The photos showed her smiling in a wood-panelled room while officials handed her two gardening books. The books were gifts from Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar on the wall behind her displayed the date. Aris called such photo opportunities familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment.

Aris stated that his mother is completely shut off from the rest of the world. She is not allowed newspapers, radio, or television. He argued that she has been locked up for five years on politically motivated charges and should be free. Suu Kyi has spent much of her life since the late 1980s in and out of house arrest for leading pro-democracy movements.

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 2016 and 2017 mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims. He noted that the country now suffers from a lack of international attention.

Aris defended his mother's handling of the Rohingya crisis, stating she was never silent on the issue. He said what she said about the crisis could fill volumes. Under her leadership, Myanmar began a domestic inquiry and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission. Aris added that she was always walking on a tightrope as state counsellor, knowing the military could remove her power at any time.

The former leader became state counsellor after her party won an overwhelming victory in the 2015 election. Her international standing suffered after the military units used disproportionate force against Rohingya Muslims, a point she acknowledged at the International Court of Justice. Aris concluded by noting that people ignoring what is happening in Burma should not be due to the treatment of the Rohingya.