Son of Aung San Suu Kyi says had first call in five years

My mother is 81 and remains unjustly detained, stated Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar's former democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Aris revealed that he spoke with his mother for the first time in over five years on Thursday, October 22. "Hearing her voice again means more than words can express," Aris expressed in a Facebook post.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating democracy in Myanmar, is currently under house arrest in Naypyidaw, the capital, since the military coup in February 2021. The Associated Press (AFP) has not been able to contact Aris, who resides in the United Kingdom, and it remains unclear how the conversation was conducted.

Kim Aris shared images outside the Myanmar embassy in London, along with his Facebook post. "I am deeply grateful to everyone who has stood by my mother and me," Aris wrote. "I believe your voices helped make this moment possible." However, he emphasized that his mother's release should be regular family access, not just a single conversation.

Following the military coup in 2021, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) excluded Myanmar from high-level meetings due to a lack of progress in implementing the Five-Point Consensus to end hostilities. During a meeting in April 2021, all ASEAN leaders agreed on the need for immediate cessation of violence, commencement of constructive dialogue, the appointment of a special envoy for mediation, provision of humanitarian assistance, and a visit by the special envoy and delegation to Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned.

Myanmar's military detained Aung San Suu Kyi for five years after the February 2021 coup, limiting her contact with the outside world. Recently, authorities have shown signs of loosening her detention, publishing photographs of her engaging in private meetings, which have prompted supporters to demand "proof of life" for the 81-year-old.

On Monday, Myanmar authorities announced that Suu Kyi received a package from Britain's King Charles III, which included two books and a sealed diplomatic communication from the monarch. However, Buckingham Palace did not comment on the contents of the communication. Myanmar authorities moved Aung San Suu Kyi from a prison in Naypyidaw to house arrest in April, and in August, they released images of her meeting with the nation's Red Cross representative.

Analysts view the election that installed military chief Min Aung Hlaing as civilian president as a sham and believe he may be easing restrictions on Suu Kyi to gain international legitimacy.