Aung San Suu Kyi dramatically shifted from solitary confinement to house arrest

Reports reveal that Aung San Suu Kyi, the ousted civilian leader of Myanmar, has been moved to house arrest after a year spent in solitary confinement in military detention. Suu Kyi, who was toppled during the coup in February 2021, was recently relocated to a government building in Nay Pyi Taw, according to the BBC citing prison sources.

This move from prison to house arrest, though unconfirmed by military authorities, could indicate a positive response from them to the persistent international appeals for the release of Myanmar’s democratically elected leader. Suu Kyi, now 78 years old, is currently serving a 33-year sentence imposed by closed-door, military-controlled trials, a process denounced globally as fraudulent.

Over the past two years, information about the Nobel laureate’s condition has been scarce. Recent rumors about her being unwell have fueled concerns among international observers. Yet, the Junta has consistently denied such claims. A source from Nay Pyi Taw prison, where Suu Kyi was previously held, has informed BBC Burmese that she is in good health.

Aung San Suu Kyi moved from prison to house arrest amid international pressure. Photo courtesy of Claude TRUONG-NGOC/Wikimedia Commons.

This month, Don Pramudwinai, Thailand’s foreign minister, revealed that he had visited Aung San Suu Kyi. As Reuters reports, Pramudwinai, the first foreign official to have access to Suu Kyi since her detention by the military two years ago, confirmed her good health and said that she supports dialogue to resolve the crisis in Myanmar.

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has plunged into civil war, with thousands of lives lost to escalating violence. International sanctions against the military regime have failed to halt the turmoil. Suu Kyi has been convicted of numerous crimes, including incitement, election fraud, corruption, and violating state secret laws.