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Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spoken to her younger son, Kim Aris, by telephone for the first time in more than five years.
Aris announced the conversation on Thursday, October 22, saying that hearing his mother’s voice again meant more to him than words could express.
The 20-minute conversation was facilitated through Myanmar’s embassy in London, where Aris lives. Myanmar’s military-backed government also confirmed the call.
Aris later told AFP that his 81-year-old mother sounded fairly healthy. He said they mainly discussed family matters because they knew the conversation would be recorded.
Suu Kyi has been detained since February 2021, when Myanmar’s military ousted her elected government in a coup.
She is currently under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital, Naypyidaw, and is serving an 18-year sentence on charges she denies.
Her health and whereabouts have remained a major concern for her family and supporters, as information about her condition has been limited.
In August, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross met Suu Kyi, marking her first known contact with an independent international humanitarian organisation since her detention.
Earlier this week, Myanmar’s military-backed authorities released photographs showing Suu Kyi receiving books and a letter sent by Britain’s King Charles III.
Welcoming the phone call, Aris stressed that the brief conversation should not be mistaken for freedom or regular family access.
He called for continued international pressure to secure his mother’s release.
“My mother and all political prisoners must be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said, reiterating that freedom should not be treated as a political bargaining chip.
