First Contact: Aung San Suu Kyi Speaks to Son After Years of Silence

The prolonged isolation of Myanmar’s former state leader has been briefly interrupted by a personal connection with her son. Kim Aris spoke by phone with his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, on Thursday, marking their first direct conversation since the military coup of 2021.

The call lasted approximately 20 minutes. Aris, a 49-year-old carpenter based in London, described the exchange as a moment of reassurance. He stated that her first words were a question regarding his health. "My mother is actually alive and well," Aris told reporters. "Hearing her voice has reassured me." The conversation was arranged through Myanmar’s Embassy in London, according to Khaing Khaing Soe, a spokesperson for the military-backed president.

Suu Kyi, who is 81 years old, has faced multiple legal charges since the seizure of power. Consecutive trials in 2021 and 2022 resulted in a total sentence of 33 years for corruption and electoral fraud. While the sentence was later reduced, she still has 18 years to serve. Western nations and human rights organizations have widely characterized the charges as fabricated. Aris learned during the call that she is held at a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw.

Aris described her current living situation as a form of solitary confinement. He believes the building is fenced off and surrounded by police and military personnel. He noted that she has access to a small, scrubby garden and can read books, but he does not believe she has access to newspapers, radio, or television. Her health remains a primary concern for the family. Aris said she sounded strong but is in significant pain from tendonitis in her hand, which occasionally renders it unusable. She receives a health checkup every six months. Aris is considering sending a care package that mixes healthy food with treats, such as cookies from a brand founded in Oxford, England, where the family lived before moving to Myanmar in 1988.

The military has historically monitored such communications. Aris recalled his mother’s long house arrest in Yangon between 1989 and 2010, during which the regime photographed parcels sent to her for use in propaganda. He believes sensitive topics, such as the ongoing civil war, were avoided during the recent call. He views the contact as an effort to improve the military’s image as President Min Aung Hlaing travels abroad to seek international legitimacy. "I hope that governments around the world won't be taken in," Aris said.

The coup triggered a civil war that has killed approximately 100,000 people, according to the monitoring group ACLED. The United Nations reports that millions have been displaced. ACLED noted that the military has sharply increased attacks on civilians since Hlaing assumed the presidency in January. He remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016 and 2017 killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims, an event Washington declared a genocide. Suu Kyi’s international standing was affected in 2019 when she defended the country at the International Court of Justice, though she remains popular domestically.

Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, stated that the regime likely will not release her because her strength would combine with the revolution. Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group described her status as a potentially valuable card for Hlaing. He warned she could become a bargaining chip while airstrikes continue and said her release is very unlikely to end the war on its own.

The U.S. State Department expressed continued concern for those it considers unjustly detained. In August, its Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs called for Suu Kyi’s immediate and unconditional release. Aris said the call may be a one-off event. He added that his mother believes she gives the people of Burma strength by sharing what they are going through.