Aung San Suu Kyi Speaks to Her Son by Phone for the First Time Since the Coup
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Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained former leader of Myanmar, spoke with her son Kim Aris by phone on Thursday, their first direct conversation since the military seized power in 2021. The 20-minute call, which he made from Myanmar’s embassy in London, gave the family a rare look at how the 81-year-old Nobel laureate is being held, according to NPR and The Associated Press.
Aris, a 49-year-old carpenter, said his mother opened the call by asking about his health, and that she sounded strong, though her voice was a little croaky.
How Suu Kyi came to be held: a timeline
- 1989 to 2010: Suu Kyi spent almost 15 years under house arrest in her family home in Yangon, AP reported.
- 1991: She won the Nobel Peace Prize, NPR noted.
- February 2021: The army ousted her elected government and detained her.
- 2021 to 2022: Consecutive trials brought her total sentence to 33 years on corruption and electoral fraud charges, which the U.S., Western countries and human rights groups have condemned as fabricated, according to NPR. The sentence was later reduced, leaving 18 years to serve.
- This past April: She was officially moved from prison to house arrest, AP reported.
- Thursday: She spoke with her son, and Myanmar’s government posted photographs of the two.
What Aris learned about her detention
Aris told NPR he believes she is held at a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw, in a fenced compound with a scrubby garden that she may be allowed to use. He said he thinks police and military personnel surround the building.
In his view, she is effectively in solitary confinement even though she is not in a prison cell. He said she can read books but, as far as he can tell, receives no news from radio, television or newspapers.
Her health remains a worry. Aris said she told him she has tendonitis in her right hand, which is painful and sometimes leaves her unable to use it. She also said she gets a checkup every six months from military doctors, and he told AP he is not sure how far he trusts them.
He said he hopes to send her a care package with healthy food and some treats, and mentioned Ben’s Cookies, a brand from Oxford, England, where she raised her sons.
What it means: a possible bid for legitimacy
Aris believes the military monitored the call, so the two avoided sensitive subjects, including the civil war that followed the coup. According to Armed Conflict Location and Event data cited by NPR, that war has killed about 100,000 people, and the United Nations says it has displaced millions.
AP described the call as appearing to be part of a charm offensive by President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 takeover and is trying to end Myanmar’s international isolation. On Monday, the government said it had delivered two gardening books from King Charles III to Suu Kyi, along with a sealed envelope and diplomatic correspondence. Critics judged the election held earlier this year neither free nor fair, AP reported, yet the government appears to be warming relations with neighboring countries and even the United States.
Aris said the military wants to present a better image while giving very little, and he urged governments not to be taken in. He added that the call might be a one-off. Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, told NPR he believes the regime “dare not release” her.
What is at stake
Min Aung Hlaing remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016-2017 killings and expulsions of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims that Washington has declared a genocide, NPR reported. Since he became president, ACLED says, the military has sharply escalated attacks on civilians, even as regional governments step up diplomatic engagement.
A spokesperson for the military-backed government did not respond to NPR’s request for comment. Aris said his mother believes she gives people in Myanmar strength by staying with them as they endure hardship.
