Aung San Suu Kyi's son speaks to detained mother for first time in over five years

Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar's former democratic leader and Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, said on Thursday he had spoken to his mother for the first time in more than five years. He announced it in a Facebook post. Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since the military coup of February 2021 that removed her civilian government from power.

"Today, I was finally able to speak with my mother. Hearing her voice again means more than words can express," Aris wrote. Images attached to the post appeared to show him outside the Myanmar embassy in London; he lives in the UK.

Aris thanked everyone who had stood by his mother and him, saying he believed their voices helped make the call possible. He added that his mother is 81 and remains unjustly detained, and that "one conversation is not regular family access".

Detention conditions appear to loosen

Myanmar authorities say Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw. The military held her in almost total seclusion for five years after the coup, which ended a tentative decade-long experiment with democracy. In recent months, authorities have increasingly publicised a loosening of her detention and released photographs of her taking private meetings, while supporters have demanded "proof of life" for the 81-year-old.

On Monday, authorities said she had received a package from Britain's King Charles, containing two books about soil and a "sealed diplomatic communication". Buckingham Palace did not comment on its contents. According to the authorities, she was moved from a prison in Naypyidaw to house arrest in April, and in August images were published of her meeting the country's Red Cross representative.

Political context

Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted her in the 2021 coup, ruled Myanmar as military chief for five years and was installed as civilian president earlier this year. Analysts have described the election that brought him to office as a charade and said he may be easing restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi in an attempt to gain international legitimacy.