Aung San Suu Kyi Speaks to Son in Rare Contact After Five Years of Detention
Kim Aris reconnects with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, in a 20-minute phone call. Discover the latest on her health and status under Myanmar military rule.
POLICY WIRE — London, United Kingdom — In a significant development, Kim Aris has spoken with his 81-year-old mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, for the first time in five years. The 20-minute phone conversation, facilitated by the British Foreign Office at the Burmese embassy in Mayfair, marks a rare breakthrough in communication since her imprisonment by the military junta.
Aris described the experience as wonderful, noting that his mother sounded strong during their exchange. He focused the conversation on family matters and gathered details regarding her current living conditions, while offering reassurance that efforts to secure her freedom remain a top priority.
The former leader is currently held under house arrest in Naypitaw, where she remains largely isolated. Aris revealed that she is suffering from tendonitis in her right hand and is confined to a residence surrounded by police, with access limited to a small area of scrubland.
During a recent London screening of the documentary Cancelled: The Rise and Fall of Aung San Suu Kyi, Aris suggested that the military regime, led by Min Aung Hlaing, continues to fear his mother’s enduring influence. He argued that the junta remains terrified of her popularity among the people of Myanmar, which he believes is far greater than the authorities initially anticipated.
In a separate gesture, Myanmar authorities released images this week showing Ms. Suu Kyi receiving a sealed letter from King Charles and two books on gardening. The volumes, The Land Gardeners: Soil to Table and Soil: The World at Our Feet, were presented to her in a wood-panelled room.
Ms. Suu Kyi has been detained since the February 2021 military coup that ousted her elected government. Following a series of convictions for corruption, incitement, and election fraud—charges widely condemned as politically motivated—her sentence was reduced in April 2026, leaving her with 18 years remaining under house arrest.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
