19-4-2024 (YANGON) Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s detained former leader, has reportedly been transferred from prison to house arrest, prompting concerns that she may be used as a pawn by the country’s ruling junta amid escalating conflicts with resistance fighters, her son revealed on April 18.

Suu Kyi has been under detention by the Myanmar military since the coup in 2021 that ousted her government. The 78-year-old Nobel laureate had previously endured a total of 15 years of house arrest under a previous junta.

While a junta spokesperson claimed this week that Suu Kyi’s transfer to house arrest was to shield her and other elderly prisoners from the hot weather, the exact location of her new detention remains unclear.

Her son, Kim Aris, residing in London, expressed skepticism regarding the junta’s explanation, stating that the official rationale seemed unlikely. Aris suggested that the junta may have alternative motives, potentially seeking to exploit Suu Kyi as a bargaining chip or human shield amid escalating conflicts.

“As the fighting’s getting closer and closer to the military strongholds, I think they may just want to keep her close to use as a human shield, or they might like to negotiate with the resistance forces on her release, trying to gain some sort of, you know, footing for the future,” Aris explained in an interview.

The opposition against the junta in Myanmar has evolved into a widespread armed resistance movement, increasingly collaborating with established ethnic rebel groups to challenge the military’s authority across significant regions of the country.

Amid mounting international pressure, world leaders and pro-democracy activists have persistently called for Suu Kyi’s release. She currently faces a total of 27 years in prison on various charges, including treason, bribery, and violations of telecommunications laws – allegations she vehemently denies.

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