Son of Detained Myanmar Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Appeals to France After Her Transfer to House Arrest

Kim Aris demanded France's help in seeking independently verified proof of his mother Aung San Suu Kyi's life after she was transferred to house arrest. The son of Myanmar's deposed leader wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, imploring France to join his call for proof of life and to guarantee her fundamental rights, including appropriate medical care, access to her lawyers, and access to her family.

South China Morning Post reported the appeal, citing statements from Aris and his mother's legal team.

Myanmar's junta chief-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing ordered the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner to be moved to house arrest on Thursday. The transfer came five years after Min Aung Hlaing put Aung San Suu Kyi into detention during a coup. Kim Aris stated he has not heard from his mother since the transfer last week.

Francois Zimeray, Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyer, said Aris handed the letter to France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot at a meeting on Tuesday. The appeal highlights ongoing concerns over Aung San Suu Kyi's well-being amid her prolonged detention. Aung San Suu Kyi remains massively popular inside Myanmar, according to reports from her supporters.

The move to house arrest marks a shift in the conditions of Aung San Suu Kyi's confinement, which began under the junta's control in 2021. Min Aung Hlaing, who assumed the role of president after the coup, has overseen her detention for the past five years. Aris's letter to Macron seeks international intervention to ensure her rights are protected during this period.