Myanmar’s detained ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi seen alive for first time in 5 years during ICRC visit
In a Nutshell:
- Myanmar's former leader Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the 2021 military coup, was seen for the first time in five years when she met ICRC Myanmar representative Arnaud de Baecque in Naypyidaw.
- The photographs of Suu Kyi meeting the ICRC official came after her son Kim Aris repeatedly demanded proof that she was alive and asked for information about her condition.
- Myanmar’s military overthrew Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021 and detained the popular leader, with critics calling the move a political crackdown.
- Suu Kyi has faced previous periods of detention under military rule, spending a combined 15 years under house arrest between 1989 and 2010.
Why it matters
In February 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi's government was overthrown in a military coup after they rejected the results of the 2020 election, where Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy won a second consecutive victory. This is not the first time that she has spent in detainment as previous military governments kept her under house arrest for a combined 15 years between 1989 and 2010. Amidst the various detainments she faced, Suu Kyi still remained a popular leader at home due to her family history with her father Aung San being a key figure in Myanmar’s independence movement. The military’s decision to release images of Suu Kyi and allow her first publicised meeting with a foreign official in five years is significant as it comes after years of secrecy around her health and whereabouts.
What we think
The timing of Suu Kyi’s first confirmed contact with a foreign official in five years is interesting as it indicates the military has a motive behind this sudden relenting in response to her family's calls for proof of life. Her son, Kim Aris, had repeatedly demanded proof that she was alive and called for independent confirmation of her condition, while the junta now faces continued international pressure over her treatment and Myanmar’s wider political crisis. The move comes after coup leader Min Aung Hlaing became Myanmar’s civilian president following a restricted election and as neighbouring countries push for greater engagement with the military government. Allowing an ICRC visit and releasing images of Suu Kyi may help the junta address concerns over her wellbeing without giving wider access to her or changing demands for her release.
