Suu Kyi Son Reveals Five Years of Solitary Confinement in Naypyidaw

Kim Aris spoke by phone with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, for the first time in more than five years on Thursday. The conversation took place at the Myanmar embassy in London. Aris stated that his 81-year-old mother sounds mentally sharp and physically strong. He believes she is held in near-total isolation at a fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw, the country's administrative capital.

Aris described the conditions of his mother's detention as solitary confinement. He said he does not believe anyone is around her other than military or police personnel. He noted that she has no access to newspapers, radio, or television. Aris characterized the charges against her as politically motivated and argued that she should be released from custody.

The former state counsellor was removed from power during the 2021 military coup. Since then, she has been moved to an unspecified location in the capital. While officials have not confirmed the exact address, Aris believes she is in a residence surrounded by scrubby land. The military regime has used recent public appearances to demonstrate her well-being without releasing her.

In August, a Red Cross visit allowed for photographs of Suu Kyi. Last week, a government spokesperson released images of her smiling in a wood-panelled room. Officials in the photos handed her two gardening books from Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar on the wall behind her indicated the date. Aris called these photo opportunities familiar stunts designed to show the regime treats her fairly.

The military leadership under former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, Hlaing swapped his military fatigues for civilian clothes following elections that many observers condemned as a sham. Aris viewed the permission for the phone call as part of a public relations campaign rather than a genuine opening. He said the invitation was part of an effort to manage the international narrative.

Suu Kyi's political career began in the late 1980s with pro-democracy movements that frequently resulted in house arrest. Her party won a landslide victory in the 2015 election, leading to a civilian-military power-sharing arrangement. She served as state counsellor until the 2021 takeover. Her international standing was tested after the mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims in 2016 and 2017.

At the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Suu Kyi defended her government against accusations of genocide. She acknowledged that military units might have used disproportionate force. Aris said his mother was never silent on the Rohingya crisis. He noted that under her leadership, Myanmar began a domestic inquiry and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission on the matter.

The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris said global public support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He argued that the lack of international attention to Myanmar is partly due to how the world reacted to the Rohingya situation. He used the country's former name, Burma, to describe the isolation of the nation from global concern.

The phone call marks the first direct contact between Aris and his mother since the coup. Aris said she has been locked up for five years. He emphasized that she remains completely shut off from the rest of the world. The next scheduled public event involving the military government will be a diplomatic meeting in Singapore next month.