Aung San Suu Kyi reports 18 years remain in her sentence to son

Kim Aris received news from his mother that changes the timeline of her detention. The former Myanmar leader told him she has 18 years left to serve on Thursday. This figure follows a reduction from the original 33-year sentence handed down in consecutive trials.

Aris, 49, spoke to NPR on a phone call arranged by the Myanmar Embassy in London. The conversation lasted 20 minutes. It marked the first direct contact between the two since the military coup in 2021. Aris, a carpenter based in London, said he felt reassured by hearing her voice after nearly six years of silence.

The timeline of Suu Kyi's legal troubles began immediately after the coup. She was first sentenced in 2021 on charges of corruption and electoral fraud. Western governments and human rights groups condemned the charges as fabricated. Further trials in 2022 added to her total time. The military-backed government later reduced her sentence to the current 18 years.

Aris learned specific details about her current living conditions during the call. He believes she is held at a residence near the capital, Naypyidaw. He described the building as fenced off with a scrubby garden. He stated that police and military personnel surround the structure. Aris characterized the situation as solitary confinement, even though she is not in a prison cell. He does not believe she has access to news via radio, television, or newspapers, though she can read books.

The former leader is 81 years old. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Aris said she sounded strong during the call but is in pain from tendonitis in her hand. The condition sometimes prevents her from using the hand. She told him she receives a health checkup every six months. Aris plans to send a care package containing a mix of healthy food and treats. He is considering cookies from a brand founded in Oxford, where Suu Kyi raised her sons before moving to Burma in 1988.

Aris believes the military monitored the conversation. Sensitive topics, including the ongoing civil war, were off limits. He recalled house arrest periods in Yangon between 1989 and 2010, when the regime used photographs of her parcels for propaganda. He views the recent call as an image management strategy for coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. Hlaing was installed as president after a military-engineered election in January. He travels abroad seeking legitimacy while remaining under U.S. sanctions for human rights abuses.

The civil war that followed the 2021 coup has killed about 100,000 people, according to the monitoring group ACLED. The United Nations says millions have been displaced. ACLED reports that the military has sharply escalated attacks on civilians since Hlaing became president. Suu Kyi's international standing shifted in 2019 when she defended Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. She remains beloved by many inside the country.

Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the exiled National Unity Government, stated the regime dare not release her. He said her strength would combine with the revolution. Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group called her status the most valuable card Hlaing holds. He warned she could become a bargaining chip while airstrikes continue. He said her release is very unlikely and would not end the war on its own.

The U.S. State Department said it remains concerned about everyone it considers unjustly detained. It urged the military to hold genuine dialogue with all opposition groups. In August, the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs called for Suu Kyi's immediate and unconditional release. Aris said the call may be a one-off. Suu Kyi believes she gives the people of Burma strength by sharing what they are going through.