Suu Kyi Isolated Five Years, Son Reports
Kim Aris says his mother is healthy but has had no visitors since the 2021 coup, according to a call made at the London embassy.
By Priya Marino ·
Aung San Suu Kyi, the 81-year-old former leader of Myanmar, has remained in near-total isolation for five years, her son said on Saturday. Kim Aris spoke to his mother for the first time since the 2021 military coup via a call arranged at the Myanmar embassy in London. He described her condition as physically strong and mentally sharp, though he believes she is held in solitary confinement.
Aris stated that he does not think anyone is around his mother except military or police personnel. He identified her likely location as a fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw, the capital, surrounded by scrubby land. He said he is not certain of the exact site but believes it is a secured compound where she has been held since being deposed.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was removed from power during the 2021 coup and has faced multiple charges since that date. Aris characterized the recent contact as part of a public relations effort by the current military leadership. He noted that former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing recently swapped his military fatigues for civilian clothes following elections that many observers condemned as a sham. This change in attire coincides with efforts to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad.
Activists have long sought proof of life for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. A Red Cross visit in August provided photographs of her, and last week a government spokesperson released images of her smiling in a wood-panelled room. Officials in those photos handed her two gardening books given by King Charles of Britain. A paper calendar on the wall behind her displayed the current date. Aris called such photo opportunities familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment.
"She remains completely shut off from the rest of the world," Aris said. He added that she is not allowed access to newspapers, radio, or television. "She's been locked up for five years on trumped-up, politically motivated charges and she should be free," he stated. Suu Kyi has spent significant time in house arrest since the late 1980s after her father, independence hero Gen Aung San, was assassinated.
Myanmar saw a brief democratic opening after Suu Kyi’s party won a 2015 election. She served as state counsellor in a power-sharing arrangement with the military. Her international standing was affected by the 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 and that her views could fill volumes. 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 tenure as walking a tightrope, knowing the military could remove her 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 support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He noted that the country now suffers from a lack of international attention. Using the country’s former name, he said the fact that people ignore what is happening in Burma should not be attributed to actions regarding the Rohingya. The next scheduled interaction between Suu Kyi and family members has not yet been announced.
Source: The Guardian
