Aung San Suu Kyi Speaks with Son for First Time in Five Years

The son of Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke with his mother by phone for the first time in five years, sharing concerns about her health. Kim Aris, one of Suu Kyi's two sons, described the 20-minute call on Thursday as a moment where "it seemed in some ways like not much time had passed at all."

Suu Kyi, 81, is currently serving an 18-year sentence under house arrest in the capital, Naypyitaw, after being detained in February 2021 when the military ousted her elected government. Her supporters and rights groups maintain the charges against her are politically motivated.

Aris said his mother sounded "strong" but had a croaky voice, like she had a cold. She inquired about his well-being, a maternal concern Aris found characteristic. "The first thing my mother asked me was if I was looking after myself, so I reassured her on that, somewhat," he told The Associated Press.

Aris, who has been campaigning for his mother's release and has called for proof of life due to the lack of information, also learned about her physical discomfort. "She said that her hand was in a lot of pain. I think she’s got tendonitis in her right hand, so at points she’s unable to use it," he said. While Suu Kyi reported being in good health otherwise, Aris expressed skepticism about the six-month checkups provided by military doctors.

Details about Suu Kyi's living conditions remain unclear. Although officially moved to house arrest in April, Aris believes she has been held in solitary confinement. He described her presumed residence as having "a bit of scrubland which calls itself a garden."

Recent actions by Myanmar's military-backed government, including the delivery of gardening books from U.K. King Charles III to Suu Kyi and the phone call with her son, appear to be part of an effort to improve its international standing. President Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup, has sought to end Myanmar's isolation following elections held earlier this year, which critics have deemed neither free nor fair. The government is working to restore relations with neighboring countries and the United States, even as the army continues to engage in civil war with pro-democracy and ethnic rebel groups.