Detained Myanmar leader met by Red Cross for first contact since ousting of gov't in coup

Myanmar's former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, held her first meeting with a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Monday, according to a government spokeswoman. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been detained since February 2021 following a military coup that ousted her elected civilian government.

Suu Kyi's whereabouts and health have been largely unknown since her detention, with no foreign envoy publicly meeting her. On Monday, Suu Kyi met with Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC's Resident Representative in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw. The meeting took place in a simple, wood-paneled room where Suu Kyi, dressed in traditional Burmese attire, was seen conversing with Baecque.

In one of the photographs released, Suu Kyi was also depicted cutting a cake bearing her name, while in another, the cake's inscription read "Happy Birthday Aunty Suu 29.6.2026." The authenticity of the photographs' location and date remains unverified. Suu Kyi, currently serving a 27-year sentence, was moved to house arrest in late April and had her sentence reduced by one-sixth as part of an amnesty for thousands of prisoners.

Despite this, the new military-backed administration has been hesitant to grant access to Suu Kyi, including a recent request by the Philippines to permit a special envoy from the ASEAN bloc to meet with the detained leader.