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Myanmar’s detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), marking the first publicly known meeting between her and a foreign official since the military coup in 2021, according to the Associated Press.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by Myanmar’s Presidential Office on Monday.
According to the statement, Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC’s resident representative in Myanmar, met Suu Kyi on Monday morning.
However, authorities did not disclose the agenda or details of the discussions.
Suu Kyi has remained in military detention since February 2021, when Myanmar’s armed forces overthrew the elected government in a coup.
She is serving lengthy prison sentences after being convicted in multiple cases that have been widely criticised by international observers.
The rare meeting has fueled hopes about her condition, as speculation had persisted over whether she was still alive due to the complete lack of public access to her since the coup.
The meeting is being viewed as a significant diplomatic development amid Myanmar’s prolonged political crisis.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 14,500 political prisoners are currently being held in Myanmar.
The rights group says at least 60 political detainees have died in custody this year alone, citing severe shortages of medical care and basic prison facilities.