Kim Aris Confirms Mother's Health After 20-Minute Call From Detention

Kim Aris, a 49-year-old carpenter living in London, spoke by phone with his mother on Thursday. The 20-minute conversation was the first direct contact between Aung San Suu Kyi and her family since the military coup in 2021. Aris said her opening question concerned his health, and he relayed the family’s love in return. He stated that hearing her voice provided immediate reassurance.

Aris described the former leader as alive and well. Suu Kyi, 81, has been detained for nearly six years. She originally received a 33-year sentence for corruption and electoral fraud charges, a verdict widely condemned by Western governments and human rights groups. Her sentence was later reduced, leaving 18 years to serve. Aris learned during the call that she is held in a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw. He believes the building is fenced and surrounded by security forces, with a small garden available for her use. He characterized her situation as solitary confinement, noting she can read but lacks access to news media.

The former Nobel Peace Prize winner suffers from tendonitis in her hand, which causes considerable pain and limits her use of the limb at times. She told Aris she receives a medical checkup every six months. Aris plans to send a care package containing a mix of healthy food and treats. He is considering including Ben's Cookies, a brand from Oxford, England, where Suu Kyi raised him and his brother with her late husband before moving to Myanmar in 1988.

The military-backed government arranged the call through the Myanmar Embassy in London. Khaing Khaing Soe, a spokesperson for President Min Aung Hlaing, shared photographs of the two on social media. Aris believes the military monitored the conversation, making sensitive topics like the ongoing civil war off-limits. He compared the call to the regime's use of house arrest during the 1989 to 2010 period, when they photographed parcels for propaganda. He views the contact as an effort to improve the military's image while Hlaing travels abroad seeking diplomatic legitimacy.

The coup sparked a civil war that has killed approximately 100,000 people, according to the monitoring group ACLED. The U.N. reports that millions have been displaced. ACLED notes that military attacks on civilians have intensified since Hlaing became president in January. Hlaing remains under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses, including the 2016-2017 killings of Rohingya Muslims. Nay Phone Latt of the exiled National Unity Government believes the regime will not release Suu Kyi because her strength would bolster the revolution. Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group called her status a valuable bargaining chip for the military.

The U.S. State Department urged the military to engage in genuine dialogue with opposition groups. Its Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs called for Suu Kyi's immediate and unconditional release in August. Aris said the call may be a one-time event. Suu Kyi believes her continued detention gives the people of Burma strength by sharing their struggle.