Aung San Suu Kyi transferred to house arrest

Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred to house arrest, the country’s military-controlled state media announced Thursday.

The 80-year old state counselor was moved from Naypyidaw prison to “the designated residence” to serve the remainder of her sentence, state-run MRTV reported without specifying exactly where this residence was.

State media also showed a the first public photo of the former leader in several years. She was at a table with men in military and police uniforms.

Suu Kyi has been in military custody since the February 2021 coup that dissolved Myanmar’s democratically elected parliament and installed a government headed by General Min Aung Hlaing.

She was convicted of 19 charges, including corruption, and sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Since then, her location has been unclear, and in April, members of civil groups, including her son Kim Aris, launched a campaign urging the junta to prove she is alive.

In 2023, Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence was reduced to 27 years and then by one-sixth during a Myanmar New Year’s amnesty this year to 22 years and six months.

Having already served more than five years since the coup, 18 years and nine months remain.

Sources close to the military told Radio Free Asia that Suu Kyi was moved to a deputy minister-level residence and a team led by Lt. Col. Tin Aung Tun has been in charge of security since March.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday said that Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi is a long-standing friend of China, and that China has consistently monitored developments regarding her situation.

Edited by Eugene Whong.