Aung San Suu Kyi held in isolation for 5 years

Aung San Suu Kyi has been held in near-total isolation for five years, according to her son, who spoke with her for the first time since her 2021 detention.

Kim Aris confirmed on October 22 that his mother appears physically strong and mentally sharp, yet he believes she is living in solitary confinement. Aris, who resides in the United Kingdom, made the comments after a permitted phone call held at the Myanmar embassy in London. He stated that he does not know anyone is present with her other than military or police personnel. The former state counsellor is 81 years old.

Suu Kyi was deposed in a military coup in 2021 and subsequently moved to an unspecified location in the capital. Aris believes she is currently held in a fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw surrounded by scrubby land. He noted that the invitation to call was part of a public relations campaign by the country's military leaders. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, he switched from military fatigues to civilian clothes following elections that were widely criticized as a sham.

The military has released visual updates of Suu Kyi in recent weeks. A government spokesperson shared images last week showing her smiling in a wood-panelled room. In the photos, officials handed her two gardening books gifted by Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar visible on the wall behind her displayed the date. Suu Kyi was also photographed during a Red Cross visit in August. Aris described these photo opportunities as familiar stunts used by the regime to suggest fair treatment. He emphasized that she remains completely shut off from the rest of the world and is not allowed newspapers, radio, or television.

Suu Kyi served as state counsellor under a civilian-military power-sharing arrangement after her party won the 2015 election overwhelmingly. Her international standing declined after mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims in 2016 and 2017. At the International Court of Justice in The Hague, she acknowledged that military units might have used disproportionate force while defending the government against accusations of genocide. Aris said his mother was never silent on the crisis and that her comments could fill volumes. He noted that Myanmar began a domestic inquiry under her leadership and appointed former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission.

The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris stated that global public support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis. He added that the country now suffers from a lack of international attention. Using the country's former name, he said the fact that people ignore what is happening in Burma should not be down to what was being done to the Rohingya. He described the military's hold on power as a result of them undermining her position while she was state counsellor. He said she was always walking on a tightrope knowing the military could remove her fragile power at any time.

The next scheduled development involves the ongoing diplomatic efforts by the junta. Min Aung Hlaing continues to pursue ties with foreign nations. The military has not announced a specific date for further updates on Suu Kyi's status. Aris remains in the United Kingdom following the call. The former leader continues to hold her position as a political prisoner in Naypyidaw. The civil war in Myanmar persists with no end in sight.