Suu Kyi Confirms Solitary Status in Rare Call After Six-Year Silence
Former leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke by phone with her son for the first time since the 2021 coup, detailing her isolation and health struggles in Naypyidaw.
By Alina Carter ·
Aung San Suu Kyi is alive.
Kim Aris, 49, spoke with his mother by phone on Thursday. The 20-minute call marked the first direct conversation between the pair since the Myanmar military seized power in 2021. Aris, a carpenter based in London, told NPR that hearing her voice reassured him. "My mother is actually alive and well," he said.
Suu Kyi, 81, faces a remaining sentence of 18 years. She was originally sentenced to 33 years in 2021 and 2022 on corruption and electoral fraud charges. The U.S., Western allies, and human rights groups have widely described these charges as fabricated. Khaing Khaing Soe, a spokesperson for the military-backed president, confirmed the call was arranged through Myanmar's Embassy in London.
Aris learned from the conversation that his mother is held at a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw. He believes police and military personnel surround the building. He described the property as fenced off with a scrubby garden that she is likely allowed to use. "From what I can ascertain, she's basically being held in solitary confinement even if she's not in a prison cell," Aris said.
She can read books but lacks access to news via radio, television, or newspapers. Aris said she "sounded strong" despite considerable pain from tendonitis in her hand. The condition sometimes prevents her from using the limb. She receives a health checkup every six months. Aris is preparing to send a care package, which she requested to contain a mix of healthy food and treats.
The family believes the military monitored the call. Sensitive topics, including the ongoing civil war, were off limits. Aris recalled the regime photographing parcels during his mother's house arrest in Yangon between 1989 and 2010. He views the call as an effort to improve the military's image while Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader installed as president in January, travels abroad seeking legitimacy. "I hope that governments around the world won't be taken in," Aris said.
The 2021 coup triggered a civil war that has killed approximately 100,000 people, according to the monitoring group ACLED. The U.N. reports that millions have been displaced. ACLED states the military has sharply escalated attacks on civilians since Min Aung Hlaing took office. He remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016-2017 killings of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims.
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, stated the regime "dare not release" Suu Kyi. He argued her strength would combine with the revolution. Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group called her status "potentially the most valuable card Min Aung Hlaing holds." He warned she could become a bargaining chip while airstrikes continue. Horsey said her release is "very unlikely" and would not end the war on its own.
The U.S. State Department said it remains concerned about everyone it considers unjustly detained. The department urged the military to hold "genuine dialogue with all opposition groups." In August, its Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs called for Suu Kyi's "immediate and unconditional release." Aris said the call may be a one-off and that his mother believes she gives the people of Burma strength by sharing what they are going through.
