Detained Suu Kyi receives UK royal package, says Myanmar’s govt

In a surprising development, Myanmar's detained Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi received a package from Britain's King Charles III on Monday, authorities announced. The release of the first images of the detained leader in two months marked a significant moment as the military seized power in the Southeast Asian nation following a coup in 2021. This incident has led to an ongoing civil war that has claimed over 100,000 lives, according to monitor ACLED.

The package contained two books about soil, a sealed envelope, and a diplomatic communication from King Charles III to Suu Kyi, referred to by Myanmar's home ministry as a "special female prisoner." This marks the first time Myanmar authorities have used such a term to describe the former political leader, who was deposed in the military coup and subsequently placed under house arrest.

The coup leader and former junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, became the civilian president in April following elections in which Suu Kyi's party was not included.

The package delivery was announced through Myanmar's presidential spokeswoman on her Facebook page. Britain, Myanmar's former colonial power, is known to have a keen interest in gardening and the environment, which might explain the nature of the books included in the package. Accompanying the statement were two images of Suu Kyi meeting with two men, both figures obscured from view, suggesting a similar setting to her last publicized meeting with a Red Cross representative in August.

AFP fact-checkers analyzed the latest photos and found no evidence of manipulation using artificial intelligence tools. Despite the delivery of the package, Suu Kyi remains detained on charges that rights groups claim were fabricated to justify the military's seizure of power. Min Aung Hlaing has stated that he has been "extremely lenient" toward her, according to a Time magazine interview published last month.

The Foreign Office in London has not yet responded to questions from AFP regarding whether British diplomats sought to deliver the package in person or were denied permission to do so.