Suu Kyi son reports mother held alone in capital for five years

Aung San Suu Kyi has been held in near-total isolation for five years, her son reported.

Kim Aris spoke with the 81-year-old former leader for the first time in over five years on Thursday. He described her as physically strong and mentally alert. Aris stated he believes she is surrounded only by military or police personnel. He concluded that she has essentially been in solitary confinement.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was removed from power in the 2021 military coup. She was moved to an unspecified location in the capital. Aris said he is unsure of the exact site. He believes it is a fenced residence in Naypyidaw with scrubby land around it. The military has controlled the country since the takeover.

Aris, who lives in the UK, made the call at the Myanmar embassy in London. He viewed the invitation as part of a public relations campaign by military leaders. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties. He switched to civilian clothes in April after elections that were widely criticized.

Activists have long demanded proof of life for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners. The Red Cross photographed her in August. Last week, a government spokesperson released images of her smiling in a wood-paneled room. Officials handed her two gardening books from King Charles of Britain. A paper calendar on the wall displayed the date. Aris called these photo opportunities familiar stunts used to suggest fair treatment.

She remains completely shut off from the rest of the world, Aris said. She is not allowed newspapers, radio, or television. He stated she was locked up for five years on trumped-up, politically motivated charges. He argued she should be free.

Suu Kyi led pro-democracy movements from the late 1980s. She often faced house arrest. Myanmar saw a brief democratic opening after her party won a 2015 election. She became state counsellor under a power-sharing arrangement. Her international standing suffered after the 2016 and 2017 killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims.

At the International Court of Justice in The Hague, she acknowledged that military units might have used disproportionate force. She defended the government against genocide accusations. Aris said his mother was never silent on the Rohingya crisis. He noted she could fill volumes with her thoughts on the matter. He said she was always walking on a tightrope, knowing the military could remove her power.

The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war. Conflict monitors report that more than 100,000 people have died. Aris said global support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He noted the whole country suffers from a lack of international attention. He said the fact that people ignore what is happening in Burma should not be attributed to the Rohingya situation.