Myanmar ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi in near-solitary confinement, son says

Aung San Suu Kyi, the 81-year former leader of Myanmar, is living in near-total isolation but remains physically and mentally strong, according to her son Kim Aris. Aris spoke to his mother by phone on Thursday, their first conversation in more than five years. He said she is surrounded only by military or police personnel, effectively placing her in solitary confinement.

Aris, who resides in the United Kingdom, made the comments after a permitted call at the Myanmar embassy in London. He described his mother as sounding all there mentally and physically strong. However, he noted that she has no access to newspapers, radio, or television. He stated that she has been locked up for five years on charges he considers politically motivated.

The former state counsellor was deposed in a 2021 military coup and has since been held in an unspecified location in the capital, Naypyidaw. Aris believes she is kept in a fenced-off residence with scrubby land surrounding it. He said he is not certain of the exact location but believes it is isolated from the public eye.

Aris characterized the recent contact as part of a public relations campaign by the military leadership. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has recently moved to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, Hlaing switched from military fatigues to civilian attire following elections that were widely criticized as a sham. Aris welcomed the chance to talk but viewed the invitation as a strategic move by the government.

Recent visual evidence has shown Aung San Suu Kyi in a wood-paneled room. A government spokesperson released images of her smiling while officials handed her two gardening books from Britain’s King Charles. A paper calendar in the background confirmed the date. She was also photographed during a Red Cross visit in August. Aris described these photo opportunities as familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment.

Myanmar has been ruled by generals for decades, with a brief democratic period beginning after Aung San Suu Kyi’s party won the 2015 election overwhelmingly. Her international standing took a hit after the 2016 and 2017 mass killings of Rohingya Muslims. She later defended the government against genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Aris said she was never silent on the crisis and that the military worked to undermine her position during her time in power.

The 2021 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 country’s current lack of international attention is a separate issue from her past handling of the ethnic minority crisis.