Myanmar’s Detained Former Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Meets with International Red Cross
BANGKOK — Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made a rare moment of contact with the outside world since the military seized power in 2021. The military-backed government announced that Suu Kyi met with the International Committee of the Red Cross’ (ICRC) representative in the capital on Monday. The meeting is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to resolve the country’s political crisis.
Two photographs published with the announcement showed Suu Kyi shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC’s representative to Myanmar, and meeting with him in a wood-paneled room. The Presidential Press and Information Bureau released the photographs and stated that the meeting was held on Monday morning, but did not disclose the location or provide details about what was discussed.
The ICRC confirmed in a statement that one of its delegates visited Suu Kyi under its standards and procedures for visiting people deprived of liberty, and spoke with her in private. However, the organization did not disclose details of the discussion. The ICRC continues to engage with all relevant actors to maintain and expand its access to places of detention in Myanmar.
The organization’s meeting with Suu Kyi comes as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar’s fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country’s political crisis. Kim Aris, her younger son living in London, and Myanmar democracy activists have been waging an online campaign to demand evidence that his mother is alive and well.
Aris welcomed the reported ICRC visit, saying it could mark the first positive development concerning his mother in more than five years. He thanked governments, the international community, and supporters for standing with his family and backing his campaign to seek proof of his mother’s well-being. Aris stressed that he had not yet received independent confirmation of her condition and hoped the visit would lead to direct family contact and her eventual release together with all political prisoners.
Suu Kyi was detained on February 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government. She has not been seen publicly since then, and the last official photo of her released was in April, when she was moved from prison to house arrest and her sentence was reduced as part of a prisoner amnesty for a Buddhist holiday.
The country’s military leaders, who have faced sanctions and widespread international isolation since seizing power in 2021, have sought to project a return to normalcy by holding a 2025 election and increased engagement with regional neighbors. However, critics say the transition to a nominally elected government largely composed of former generals and holdovers from the previous military-led government has done little to change the military’s grip on power.
Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government, stated that the ICRC’s meeting with Suu Kyi shouldn’t be taken as a real move to address human rights or democracy issues. He emphasized that Suu Kyi must be released without any conditions, as she was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned by finding faults where there were none.
The United Nations welcomed the ICRC visit and reiterated its call for the swift and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained as a fundamental step toward conditions conducive to a credible and transparent political process. U.N. deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq stated that Secretary-General António Guterres stresses the importance of a dialogue between all Myanmar parties and his special envoy Julie Bishop on how the U.N., the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and other key players can help peacefully resolve the current conflict.
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Kim Aris expressed his gratitude for the reported ICRC visit, saying it could mark the first positive development concerning his mother in more than five years. He emphasized that this may be a first step, but it must not be the last.
Aris welcomed the reported ICRC visit and thanked governments, the international community, and supporters for standing with his family and backing his campaign to seek proof of his mother’s well-being. He stressed that he had not yet received independent confirmation of her condition and hoped the visit would lead to direct family contact and her eventual release together with all political prisoners.
