Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar’s jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, told DVB that his mother’s heart condition is deteriorating in prison, where she’s been held incommunicado since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
“Her heart condition is likely to be getting worse. She requested a cardiologist be allowed to see her from outside of the prison, but I don’t know if that has been granted,” Aris told DVB in an interview on Sept. 16.
He added that nobody outside of the regime in Naypyidaw, and its prison authorities, have been in contact with Aung San Suu Kyi. Aris has made repeated requests to Naypyidaw to speak to his 80-year-old mother – all of which have gone unanswered.
“Nothing effective has been done to pressure the military into allowing medical access or improving her situation,” Aris said after issuing an urgent statement on Sept. 4 regarding Aung San Suu Kyi’s heart condition which has likely deteriorated after nearly five years in solitary confinement.
The regime spokesperson Zaw Min Tun dismissed reports about Aung San Suu Kyi’s reported health issues as a distraction from regime leader Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to China, where he met President Xi Jinping, and attended a military parade.
Zaw Min Tun told pro-regime media on Sept. 6 that Aung San Suu Kyi is in “good health.” The regime has repeatedly refused to allow any independent access to verify the jailed leader’s condition, or provide proof of life.
Beyond advocating for his mother’s release from prison, Aris has supported humanitarian initiatives in Myanmar, including providing clean drinking water to more than 7,000 civilians displaced from their homes due to conflict, and the March 28 earthquake.
In January, Aris launched the “Suu 80th Birthday” campaign to raise awareness about his mother’s plight in prison. He collected 80,000 video messages for her 80th birthday – breaking a Guinness World Record – and ran 80 kilometres with family and friends.
Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted on multiple charges, including corruption, breaching COVID-19 restrictions, importing and possessing walkie-talkies, incitement, and violations of the state secrets and telecommunications laws.
She is now serving a 33 year prison sentence, which was reduced to 27 years after a “partial pardon” was given by the regime in August 2023.
Since Aung San Suu Kyi was jailed during the 2021 coup, Aris has become a staunch advocate for his mother’s release from prison and for the Myanmar pro-democracy movement, which has been led by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party since its founding in 1988.
He discussed the need for accountable leadership in the resistance to the regime, which seized power during the 2021 coup, and how to provide urgent humanitarian aid to civilians in resistance-controlled areas of the country.
Earlier this year, Aris’ tour of the U.S. saw him speak at community centers, universities, and to political leaders, about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar over four years after the coup.
“Anything that can help free my mother, I’m willing to engage with anybody who might be able to help in any way,” Aris said. “I’m doing this for my own reasons, to raise her case internationally and to support those suffering inside Myanmar.”
