Jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi’s son, Kim Aris, has issued an urgent appeal following reports that his mother’s health has deteriorated significantly while in detention, where she’s been held since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
“It is deeply distressing to have heard my mother’s health has taken a turn for the worse. She has had ongoing heart complications which have undoubtedly been exacerbated by the conditions under which she is being held. She needs to see, and has asked to see, a cardiologist from outside the prison. I have no way of knowing if this has been granted. This is cruel and life-threatening for her,” says Aris in a press release on Sept. 4.
The 80-year-old Suu Kyi continues to be held in an undisclosed location by the military regime, which seized power during the 2021 coup. There has been no transparency regarding her condition, location, or access to medical care, according to her friends and family.
Suu Kyi’s prolonged detention over the last four-and-a-half years without access to a fair trial or access to adequate medical treatment constitutes a violation of human rights and international norms, says Aris.
“She is aged 80 and needs care and most importantly needs to be freed and no longer a political prisoner for standing up for democracy and freedom for her country. It is shocking and shattering for this military junta to hold her without fair trial and with no compassion for her age or health. I ask the world to help me find a path to freedom for her,” adds Aris in the press release.
He called on the international community to demand immediate proof of life, medical access, and the unconditional release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
