Asean envoy ends Myanmar visit without meeting detained Suu Kyi

Philippines Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro concluded a two-day visit to Myanmar on Thursday, without arranging a meeting with former democrat leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The Asean special envoy, who leads the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), has persistently demanded access to Suu Kyi since she was removed from power in a 2021 military coup.

Suu Kyi, 81, has been under house arrest since the putsch, and her condition has been a persistent issue for the 11-nation Asean bloc, which has excluded Myanmar's leaders from its summits since the coup. During her visit, Lazaro and Myanmar's Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe had substantial talks regarding ways to restore Myanmar's pre-coup position and rights within Asean, though they did not mention Suu Kyi.

According to the Myanmar foreign ministry, Lazaro had spent Wednesday in Shan state, supervising humanitarian initiatives for those displaced by the civil war sparked by the coup. This year, analysts suggest authorities have permitted Suu Kyi limited contact with the outside world in an attempt to end their international isolation.

Last week, Suu Kyi received a package from British King Charles, including two books about soil and a sealed diplomatic communication from the monarch. Her son, Kim Aris, spoke with her via consular phone last Thursday, their first communication in over five years. Aris told AFP his mother appeared "fairly healthy," but he expressed concerns that she might be used as a pawn to enhance the image of her captors.

The Philippines had requested brief access to meet Suu Kyi in April, following her transfer from prison to house arrest. In August, during a meeting with Myanmar's senior Red Cross official, she urged for access, which was denied.