Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks with her son in first phone call since coup

Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi spoke on the phone with her son Kim Aris on Thursday for the first time in more than five years. Mr. Aris said his mother sounded fairly healthy during the 20-minute consular call, which began at 2:30 p.m. local time. Mr. Aris took the call from Myanmar's embassy in London, while Ms. Suu Kyi was in Naypyidaw, where authorities say she remains under house arrest following the February 2021 military coup.

Details

Ms. Suu Kyi is 81 years old and has been held in almost total seclusion since the coup ended a decade-long experiment with democracy. Mr. Aris noted that they mainly discussed family matters and did not touch on sensitive topics because they knew the call was being recorded. Myanmar's presidential spokesperson released photographs of the conversation showing Ms. Suu Kyi sitting beneath a calendar marked with Thursday's date. This update follows a Monday announcement where authorities published pictures of her receiving a package from Britain's King Charles III.

Analysis

Analysts state that Myanmar's rulers are increasingly advertising Ms. Suu Kyi's wellbeing to shake off their pariah status abroad. Min Aung Hlaing ousted Ms. Suu Kyi in the 2021 putsch and was installed as civilian president in April. Experts suggest authorities are using these gestures to extract international concessions, though many within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and beyond still demand her release. Some observers believe reintroducing the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate into public view may be an attempt to peel off support for pro-democracy rebels fighting in the civil war triggered by the coup.

Context

Aung San Suu Kyi led Myanmar's National League for Democracy before her government was unseated by the military. Her detention has long been a major diplomatic sticking point between Myanmar's rulers and the international community. The military government has recently shifted some tactics by loosening aspects of her detention and publicizing meetings with figures like the Red Cross representative.