A 20-Minute Call: Myanmar Detainee Hears Son's Voice After Six Years
Kim Aris spoke with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, by phone for the first time since the 2021 coup, revealing her health status and continued isolation.
By Noor Rossi ·
The Myanmar military permitted a 20-minute telephone conversation between former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her son, Kim Aris, on Thursday. This marks the first direct contact between them since the 2021 coup dissolved the government she led. The call broke a near-six-year silence that left her family uncertain about her condition and location.
Aris, a 49-year-old carpenter living in London, stated that his mother’s first words inquired about his health. He confirmed she is alive and in good spirits, noting that hearing her voice provided personal reassurance. The military spokesperson, Khaing Khaing Soe, announced the arrangement through social media, citing coordination via the Myanmar Embassy in London. She also shared separate photographs of the two individuals.
Aris learned that his 81-year-old mother is held at a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw. He believes the building is surrounded by police and military personnel, with a fenced yard that includes a garden. He described her situation as solitary confinement, despite the lack of a prison cell. While she has access to books, Aris believes she is cut off from radio, television, and newspapers.
Health concerns remain central to the family’s worries. Aris reported that his mother suffers from severe tendonitis in one hand, which sometimes renders it unusable. She told him she receives medical checkups every six months. Aris plans to send a care package, and she requested a mix of healthy foods and treats. He is considering items from Ben’s Cookies, a brand from Oxford, England, where the family lived before moving to Myanmar in 1988.
Aris suspects the military monitored the call, which led to avoiding sensitive topics such as the ongoing civil war. He views the contact as an attempt to improve the regime’s international image. Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, who became president after a January election, is currently traveling abroad to seek diplomatic legitimacy. Aris warned that global governments should not be misled by this gesture.
The conflict has resulted in approximately 100,000 deaths according to the monitoring group ACLED, and the United Nations reports that millions have been displaced. ACLED notes that the military has intensified attacks on civilians since Hlaing took office. Hlaing remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016-2017 genocide of the Rohingya, a label Washington assigned after Suu Kyi defended the country at the International Court of Justice in 2019.
Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, stated the regime dares not release her because her strength would bolster the revolution. Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group described her as a valuable bargaining chip for Hlaing, warning that her release is unlikely and would not end the war on its own. The U.S. State Department urged the military to engage in genuine dialogue and demanded her immediate and unconditional release in August.
Aris believes the call may be a one-off event. He shared that his mother believes sharing her experience gives the people of Burma strength. The military has not indicated whether further contact will be permitted in the near future.
Source: NPR
