Kathmandu— Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday, marking one of the only publicly confirmed interactions she has had with an external entity since being ousted by the military in February 2021. The meeting took place in Naypyitaw and was announced by Myanmar's military-backed government, which released photographs showing Suu Kyi shaking hands with ICRC resident representative Arnaud de Baecque.

Details of the Meeting

Two images show Suu Kyi meeting de Baecque in a sparsely furnished room, while two other photos offer a rare glimpse into her living conditions. The photographs depict Suu Kyi cutting a pink birthday cake with a clothes rack and storage boxes visible in the background, suggesting they were taken around her 81st birthday in June. Despite these images, no further details about what was discussed during the meeting have been disclosed by Myanmar's military-backed government.

Suu Kyi's Circumstances

Since Suu Kyi’s detention in February 2021, her exact whereabouts and health status have remained uncertain. She is serving a 27-year sentence on charges that her allies claim are politically motivated. In April, following elections that installed former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president, authorities announced that Suu Kyi’s sentence had been commuted by one-sixth as part of a broader prisoner amnesty and that she had been moved from prison to house arrest.

Despite this change in her status, the new administration has largely resisted granting outside access to Suu Kyi. A May request from the Philippines on behalf of ASEAN to allow a special envoy to visit was denied.

(With inputs from DW)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.