Detained Myanmar leader tells son she has 18 years left

The military government in Myanmar has maintained control for six years through a combination of detention and diplomatic engagement. On Thursday, that control allowed for a rare connection between the former leader and her family.

Kim Aris, 49, spoke by phone with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, 81, for the first time since the 2021 coup. The conversation lasted 20 minutes. It was arranged through the Myanmar Embassy in London, according to Khaing Khaing Soe, a spokesperson for the military-backed president.

Aris, a carpenter based in London, said his mother’s first words were a question about his health. He described her as alive and well, noting that hearing her voice provided reassurance. However, the call revealed specific physical limitations. Suu Kyi suffers from tendonitis in her hand, which causes considerable pain and sometimes prevents her from using it. She receives a health checkup every six months, Aris said.

The former leader is held in a residence near Naypyidaw, the capital. Aris believes police and military personnel surround the building. He described it as fenced off with a scrubby garden. He stated that she is effectively in solitary confinement, even if not in a prison cell. She can read books but likely lacks access to radio, television, or newspapers.

Aris believes the military monitored the call, which restricted discussion to personal topics. Civil war progress was off limits. He sees the call as a move to improve the regime's image as coup leader Min Aung Hlaing travels abroad seeking legitimacy. Hlaing was installed as president after a military-engineered election in January. Aris warned that he hopes governments around the world will not be taken in by the gesture.

The political stakes remain high. Suu Kyi faces 18 years of a reduced sentence, originally totaling 33 years for corruption and electoral fraud charges. The U.S. and Western countries have widely condemned these charges as fabricated. The coup triggered a civil war that has killed about 100,000 people, according to the monitoring group ACLED. The U.N. says millions have been displaced. The military has escalated attacks on civilians since Hlaing became president, even as regional governments step up diplomatic engagement.

Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group called Suu Kyi the most valuable card Hlaing holds. He warned she could become a bargaining chip while airstrikes continue. Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, believes the regime dares not release her because her strength would combine with the revolution. The U.S. State Department urged the military to hold genuine dialogue with all opposition groups. It called for Suu Kyi's immediate and unconditional release in August. Aris said the call may be a one-off event. His mother believes she gives the people of Burma strength by sharing what they are going through.