Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne says Australia's ambassador to Myanmar has spoken with Sean Turnell, the economist and former adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Professor Turnell announced on Saturday he was being detained in the first-known arrest of a foreign national since the February 1 military coup that overthrew Ms Suu Kyi's elected government.
Amid concerns about Turnell's welfare, Senator Payne said Australia's envoy to Myanmar Andrea Faulkner had now spoken with the economist.
Professor Turnell, from Sydney's Macquarie University, had been advising Ms Suu Kyi on economic policy for several years.
"Our Ambassador and Professor Turnell discussed his health, welfare and the conditions in which he is being detained," Senator Payne said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Senator Payne called for Professor Turnell's immediate release.
Also on Thursday, a close aide to Ms Suu Kyi was detained in a new wave of arrests following last week's military coup.
Former minister Kyaw Tint Swe, regarded as her right-hand man, was taken into custody, a party official said.
He had been one of her representatives in high-level talks with the military before the coup.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's new junta leader, had earlier called on civil servants to return to work and urged people to stop mass gatherings to avoid spreading coronavirus.
Thursday saw a sixth day of protests against the coup.
Hundreds of workers lined a road in the capital Naypyitaw, chanting anti-junta slogans and carrying placards supporting Suu Kyi.
Thousands demonstrated in the main city of Yangon, some taking a humorous approach, such as men dressed in short skirts.
"What a joke! He must be completely delusional to ask people who are protesting against him to come back and work," said one Twitter user, who identified as Nyan Bo Bo, in response to Min Aung Hlaing's statement.
On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden approved an executive order paving the way for new sanctions on Myanmar's generals.
Mr Biden said the executive order would enable his administration "to immediately sanction the military leaders who directed the coup, their business interests as well as close family members".
ABC/wires
