Calls grow for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. Her son: ‘I don’t know if she’s still alive’

International pressure is mounting on Myanmar’s military junta to provide verifiable proof of the democratic leader’s health, who has been held in solitary confinement since 2021, through the “Proof of Life” campaign. There has been no reliable news about her for years. Her son Kim Aris told AsiaNews: “The Burmese people love my mother as much as I do”.

Yangon (AsiaNews) - On the eve of her 81st birthday, international pressure is mounting on Myanmar’s military junta to provide verifiable proof that Aung San Suu Kyi is still alive and in good health. In recent days, to mark the Buddhist New Year, the Burmese military granted the release of thousands of political prisoners, including Myanmar’s former president, U Win Myint, a close ally of the democracy leader.

However, there is no reliable information regarding Aung San Suu Kyi. This is why the “Proof of Life” campaign was launched, promoted by the All In One Piece movement and also supported by high-level representatives of ASEAN and the United Nations.

“The ‘Proof of Life’ campaign is, at its core, a simple and deeply human request,” Kim Aris, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s youngest son, told AsiaNews. “As her son, I still have no news regarding my mother’s condition or whereabouts. I am deeply concerned and wonder if she is still alive, given that the military authorities continue to remain silent,” he continued. “I am well aware that the Burmese people love my mother as much as I do and share my concerns. This is not just a personal appeal, but a collective one, on behalf of many families living in uncertainty regarding their loved ones.”

During the coup on 1 February 2021, Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and sentenced to 27 years in prison on the basis of 19 charges fabricated by the military junta. Almost 1,900 days have passed since her arrest without any credible information ever emerging about her condition. Two years ago, Kim Aris had already stated that she had received only fragmentary updates, accompanied by worrying signs of a possible deterioration in her mother’s health.

“People in Burma and around the world, including world leaders, understand that my mother can play a vital role in any path towards national reconciliation,” Kim Aris added. “Her continued absence and isolation only serve to heighten the uncertainty surrounding Burma’s future. Asking for proof of life is the most basic appeal for dignity, transparency and accountability. Until there is clear and credible information, we will continue to ask.”

The Burmese junta has not issued any further official statements on the former State Counsellor’s condition since the conclusion of the trials, which were held behind closed doors in the military capital Naypyidaw. The authorities justify their silence by stating that, having been convicted, she cannot receive international visitors or participate in diplomatic meetings.

However, this position has already shown its limitations after the then Thai Foreign Minister, Don Pramudwinai, was able to meet her in prison in July 2023. News of the visit only emerged later, during an ASEAN meeting. Since then, all information regarding her condition has come exclusively from military sources. Even the exact location of her detention remains a secret.

The junta’s silence has prompted repeated calls for transparency. The United Nations and ASEAN – the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose rotating presidency this year falls to the Philippines – have called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi. The European Union, too, whilst welcoming a recent amnesty linked to the Burmese New Year festival of Thingyan, has reiterated its call for a full release.

The ‘Proof of Life’ initiative coincides with the appointment of General Min Aung Hlaing as president, following elections lacking legitimacy that took place whilst civil war continues to rage in various parts of the country. Several areas remain under the control of armed groups forming the resistance, which in some cases are establishing independent local administrations.

On 17 April, Min Aung Hlaing, alongside the announcement of an amnesty for over 4,500 prisoners, also decreed a reduction of one-sixth of Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence, amounting to four and a half years. Human rights organisations denounce this as yet another attempt by the military junta to gain greater international legitimacy, rather than a genuine attempt at reconciliation. Indeed, only 14% of those released in recent days fall into the category of political prisoners. U Win Myint himself, upon his release, immediately asked for news of Suu Kyi, admitting he had no information about her.

Since 2021, the Burmese army has sought to erase Aung San Suu Kyi’s political legacy. Her party, the National League for Democracy, has been dissolved; the authorities have attempted to confiscate her historic residence in Yangon and have imposed almost total isolation on her. This harsh treatment reflects the military’s fears regarding her, as she is still held in high regard by the majority of the population. Meanwhile, the situation following the civil war remains dire, with tens of thousands of people killed, over 22,000 political prisoners and around five million internally displaced persons.