Kim Aris hears mother Aung San Suu Kyi's voice after five years of silence

Aung San Suu Kyi is in good physical and mental condition but remains in near-total isolation, her son said after their first conversation in more than five years. Kim Aris told reporters that the 81-year-old former leader still sounds strong and mentally clear, yet she has no one around her except military or police personnel. He described her situation as essentially solitary confinement.

Aris made the comments on Thursday after being permitted to speak with his mother at the Myanmar embassy in London. He said the military allowed the call as part of a public relations effort. Aris, who lives in the United Kingdom, noted that he does not know the exact location of his mother, but he believes she is held in a fenced residence in the capital, Naypyidaw, surrounded by scrubby land.

The former state counsellor was deposed in the 2021 military coup. Since then, she has been moved to an unspecified location. Aris said he views recent images released by the government as familiar stunts designed to show the regime is treating her fairly. Last week, a government spokesperson shared photos of Suu Kyi smiling in a wood-panelled room while officials handed her two gardening books. The gifts came from Britain's King Charles. A paper calendar in the background confirmed the date. In August, the Red Cross visited her.

Aris criticized the military for keeping his mother shut off from the outside world. She is not allowed access to newspapers, radio, or television. He said she has been locked up for five years on politically motivated charges. "She should be free," he added. Activists have long demanded proof of life for Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to conflict monitors. Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties. He swapped military fatigues for civilian clothes in April after elections that were widely condemned as a sham. Aris said global support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis, but he argued that international attention should not be lost to Myanmar's current suffering.

Suu Kyi led her country during a brief democratic opening after winning the 2015 election. Her position weakened after the mass killings and expulsions of Rohingya Muslims in 2016 and 2017. At the International Court of Justice, she acknowledged that military units might have used disproportionate force. Aris said his mother was never silent on the crisis and that Myanmar began a domestic inquiry under her leadership.