Yangon:  Concerns are mounting over the health of Myanmar’s detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, after her son, Kim Aris, reported that she is facing serious medical complications while being held in military custody.

Aris said his 80-year-old mother is suffering from worsening heart problems, along with bone and gum ailments. He also suggested she may have sustained injuries during the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar earlier this year. According to him, Suu Kyi requested to see a cardiologist about a month ago, but there has been no confirmation that the consultation was ever granted.

“I am extremely worried about my mother’s condition. There is no way of verifying whether she is even alive without proper medical examinations,” Aris stated, urging urgent medical intervention for the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Myanmar’s military, however, dismissed the health concerns. Spokesman Zaw Min Tun claimed through state media that Suu Kyi’s condition is “good” and accused critics of spreading rumors to divert attention from military chief Min Aung Hlaing’s recent visit to China.

Suu Kyi has been in custody since the February 2021 military coup that ousted her elected government. Initially sentenced to 33 years on multiple charges including corruption and incitement, her sentence was later reduced to 27 years. She has spent much of her detention in isolation, with minimal access to lawyers and her family. Reports have indicated that her prison conditions are harsh, with limited medical care and poor nutrition, raising fears about her deteriorating health.

International rights groups and political observers have warned that her continued detention under such conditions poses severe risks to her life. Suu Kyi’s declining health is expected to intensify global pressure on Myanmar’s ruling junta to allow independent medical access and improve transparency regarding her treatment.

The latest developments highlight both the humanitarian concerns surrounding Suu Kyi’s imprisonment and the political sensitivity of her status as a long-standing symbol of democracy and resistance in Myanmar.