Family contact after five years

Kim Aris, the 49-year-old son of Aung San Suu Kyi who lives in London, wrote on Facebook that he had spoken with his mother for the first time in more than five years. Photos he posted appeared to show him outside the Burmese embassy in London. The Independent reported that the conversation lasted 20 minutes and that the British Foreign Office had alerted him to go to the embassy in Mayfair, where he was allowed to talk with her alone. Handelsblatt wrote that it remained unclear whether the call took place online or by telephone. Aris thanked supporters and said he believed their voices had helped make the moment possible. He also called for the immediate and unconditional release of his 81-year-old mother and of all political prisoners.

“It was wonderful finally to be able to speak with my mother.”

Parcel from King Charles III

Burmese authorities said on Monday, 19 October, that a parcel from King Charles III had been delivered to Suu Kyi, and they released the first photos of her in two months. The authorities described her as a "special detainee", a term they had not used for her before. The parcel contained two books on soil and a sealed envelope with a diplomatic communication, according to a spokesperson for the Burmese presidency on Facebook. The Independent identified the books as The Land Gardeners: Soil to Table and Soil: The World at Our Feet. The king is known for his strong interest in gardening and the environment. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the contents of the communication.

Detention and conditions

Suu Kyi has been held since the military coup of 1 February 2021, when the army overthrew the elected government and arrested her. Burmese authorities said in April that she had been moved from a prison in Naypyidaw to house arrest, though Handelsblatt reported that her exact whereabouts were still not publicly known. In early August, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross visited her, the first publicly known contact with an independent international humanitarian actor since her arrest. Aris told The Independent that she was suffering from tendonitis in her right hand and that police are stationed around the house. Rights groups say the charges against her were fabricated to allow the military to return to power. The war that followed the coup has caused more than 100,000 deaths, according to the NGO ACLED.

The junta's intentions

Aris told The Independent at a London screening of a documentary about his mother's career that the junta is still afraid of her. He said her influence in Myanmar is greater than people realise. Min Aung Hlaing, the army chief who was declared president by parliament in April after a widely disputed election, is the official holding her. Handelsblatt reported that critics and international observers do not see the vote as a genuine democratic process. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign for democracy, and she spent 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010, according to Handelsblatt.

What comes next

Handelsblatt reported that it is still open whether the limited contact will become a regular exchange with her family. Aris warned that one conversation does not amount to regular family access, and that access does not mean freedom. He urged supporters to keep speaking out until his mother is released. Aris said she is largely on her own while under house arrest.