Myanmar's military-backed government and president Min Aung Hlaing have ordered the move of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi from Naypyidaw Prison to house arrest. State media and television announced the decision on Thursday, marking a shift for the Nobel laureate who has been detained since the 2021 military coup.
The 80-year-old leader was initially sentenced to 33 years in prison. Her sentence was later commuted to 27 years after Min Aung Hlaing was voted president in an election dismissed as civilian window dressing by monitoring groups. Following two amnesties granted this month, she now has just over 18 years left to serve, although her remaining sentence remains unclear.
The transition to house arrest is part of a larger prisoner pardon tied to a Buddhist religious holiday. The move is also seen as a conciliatory gesture ahead of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in the Philippines, as the regime seeks international recognition.
However, the secrecy surrounding Suu Kyi's new location has alarmed her son, Kim Aris. He reports that he has received no authoritative confirmation of her wellbeing since the move.