Myanmar's former leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has made her first public appearance since being detained following the military coup in 2021, meeting representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Naypyidaw.
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Photographs released by Myanmar's Presidential Press and Information Bureau (PPIB) showed Suu Kyi meeting ICRC's Myanmar representative Arnaud de Baecque at an undisclosed location on Monday. The authorities did not disclose details of their discussions.
According to Reuters, the meeting is seen as part of the military-backed government's efforts to improve ties with ASEAN and the international community.
Suu Kyi's whereabouts and health had remained largely unknown since the military seized power in February 2021, despite repeated requests from foreign governments and international organisations to meet her. In May this year, authorities announced that she had been moved
from prison to house arrest.
The military also released photographs showing Suu Kyi smiling as she cut a pink cake to mark her 81st birthday in June.
The photographs come amid growing international calls for greater access to Suu Kyi. According to the Associated Press, her younger son, Kim Aris, who is based in London, has been campaigning online for proof that his mother is in good health.
Welcoming the ICRC visit, Aris said it could be the first positive development concerning his mother in more than five years.
"This may be a first step, but it must not be the last," Aris said. He added that he hoped the visit would eventually lead to direct contact with his mother and the release of all political prisoners.
Myanmar's military rulers have faced international sanctions and diplomatic isolation since overthrowing Suu Kyi's elected government in 2021. They have sought to project a return to normalcy through the 2025 election and greater engagement with regional neighbours.
However, critics argue that the new civilian administration, largely made up of former military figures and allies of the junta, has done little to reduce the military's control over the country.
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), said the ICRC meeting should not be seen as a genuine attempt to address Myanmar's human rights or democratic crisis.
The United Nations welcomed the ICRC visit and reiterated its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained, saying it was a necessary step towards a credible and transparent political process in Myanmar.
