Aung San Suu Kyi spoke by phone with her son for the first direct conversation in more than five years, a rare family contact for Myanmar’s detained former leader.
Kim Aris said the call took place Thursday, Oct. 22. In a Facebook statement, he wrote, “Hearing her voice again means more than words can express.” Myanmar presidential spokeswoman Khaing Khaing Soe confirmed the call and said it lasted 20 minutes. Khaing Khaing Soe said Aris joined from Myanmar’s embassy in London. Suu Kyi took the call from her house-arrest residence in Naypyidaw, the spokeswoman said, without identifying its address.
Aris said a single call did not amount to regular family access. “One conversation is not regular family access. Family access is not freedom,” he said. He has also called for independent medical access and the release of Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.
The military takeover that ended Suu Kyi’s elected administration in February 2021 led to her detention. She is 81 and is serving an 18-year prison sentence under house arrest. Reuters and Myanmar Now reported that she was transferred from prison to house arrest in April 2026, after Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader, became president following an election held under military rule. Reuters reported that Suu Kyi’s sentence stems from convictions involving election fraud, corruption, incitement and a state secrets law. She denies the charges.
A delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross met with Suu Kyi on Aug. 3, the organization said. On Oct. 19, authorities released photos showing Suu Kyi with a package alongside an announcement that she had received books from King Charles III. The presidential spokesperson said the delivery included two books, a sealed envelope and a diplomatic communication.
