Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is suffering from worsening heart problems and needs urgent medical attention, her son said in an appeal for her immediate release from “cruel and life-threatening” custody.
Kim Aris told Reuters that his 80-year-old mother, in military custody since a 2021 coup that deposed her government, had asked to see a cardiologist about a month ago, but he had been unable to determine whether her request had been granted.
“Without proper medical examinations ... it is impossible to know what state her heart is in,” he said by phone from London. “I am extremely worried. There is no way of verifying if she is even alive.”
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has also suffered from bone and gum issues, Aris said, adding that it was likely she had been injured in an earthquake in March that killed more than 3,700 people. In a Facebook video, he appealed for Suu Kyi and all political prisoners in Myanmar to be released.
Military spokesman Zaw Min Tun told state media on Saturday evening that reports about her health were intended to distract from military chief Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to China where he met with President Xi Jinping and attended a military parade.
“Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s health is good. They are fabricating this information because we are in China and our Myanmar leader is doing so many activities and they want to hide this news,” he said on MRTV.
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