Aung San Suu Kyi held in solitary confinement

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent five years in near-total isolation, according to her son, who spoke with her by telephone for the first time in that period. The 81-year-old former leader of Myanmar appeared mentally sharp and physically strong to Kim Aris during their conversation on Thursday.

Aris said he does not believe his mother has anyone around her except military or police personnel. He described her situation as solitary confinement, noting that she is held in a fenced-off residence in Naypyidaw, the capital city. He could not confirm the exact location but identified the site as having scrubby land surrounding it.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate was deposed in a 2021 military coup. She has been detained since then under what Aris called trumped-up, politically motivated charges. He said she is not permitted access to newspapers, radio, or television, leaving her completely shut off from the rest of the world.

Aris, who lives in the United Kingdom, was allowed to speak with his mother at the Myanmar embassy in London. He welcomed the opportunity to talk but characterized the invitation as part of a public relations campaign by the country's military leaders. He said the regime frequently uses photo opportunities to suggest fair treatment.

Last week, a government spokesperson released images of Suu Kyi smiling in a wood-paneled room. Officials in the photos were handing her two gardening books that King Charles III of Britain had given as gifts. A paper calendar on the wall behind her displayed the date. In August, a Red Cross visit provided the last publicly available photograph of her.

Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has sought to rebuild diplomatic ties abroad. In April, he swapped military fatigues for civilian clothes following elections that were widely condemned as a sham. Aris said global public support for his mother has dwindled since the Rohingya crisis, reducing international attention to the country.

Suu Kyi served as state counsellor after her party won the 2015 election overwhelmingly. Her international standing faced criticism 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 while defending the government against genocide accusations.

Aris said his mother was never silent on the Rohingya crisis. He noted that Myanmar began a domestic inquiry under her leadership and appointed former United Nations chief Kofi Annan to lead a commission. He described her position as walking a tightrope, knowing the military could remove her fragile power at any time.

The 2021 takeover triggered a civil war that conflict monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. Aris stated that the country suffers from a lack of international attention. He argued that the world's focus should not be solely on the Rohingya issue, using the country's former name to say, The fact that people ignore what's happening in Burma shouldn't be down to what was being done to the Rohingya.

Activists have long demanded proof of life for Suu Kyi and scores of other political prisoners. Aris said she should be free after five years of detention. The next scheduled public appearance for the former leader has not been announced by the military government.