Myanmar President Orders Suu Kyi to House Arrest
Myanmar’s president, who previously led the military junta, has ordered the former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be placed under house arrest. This decision comes five years after detaining Suu Kyi in the 2021 coup.
According to AFP, on Friday (1/5/2026), a statement from Min Aung Hlaing’s office said that he had “reduced the remaining sentence” of the 80-year-old Suu Kyi “to be served at a designated residence”.
It is unclear where she will be transferred, but a senior source from the disbanded National League for Democracy (NLD) party said she is likely to be exiled to an address in the capital Naypyidaw.
“We do not know exactly where the place is,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.
The official statement also did not explain how many years of Suu Kyi’s remaining sentence.
As military chief, Min Aung Hlaing overthrew Suu Kyi’s elected government five years ago, detaining her on a number of charges that human rights groups say were fabricated to sideline her.
The move triggered a widespread civil war that has killed thousands and caused millions to flee in this Southeast Asian nation of around 50 million people.
This month, Min Aung Hlaing swapped his military title for the civilian position of president, sworn in after a tightly controlled election that excluded the NLD.
Criticism or protests against the election are punishable by up to a decade in prison, and voting did not take place in rebel-seized areas of the war.
Democracy watchdogs described the election process as an attempt to rebrand the military government, which has dominated Myanmar for much of its post-independence history.
The move is accompanied by some lifting of post-coup restrictions and amnesties for prisoners, which analysts also see as cosmetic actions to clean up the leadership’s reputation.
“I think they are playing the same game as usual,” said Suu Kyi’s son, Kim Aris, by telephone.
“They are trying to legitimise themselves in the eyes of the international media and governments around the world.”
“If she has truly been moved to house arrest, then I hope she will be allowed to communicate with me and her lawyers, among others,” he added.
“No one has contacted me.”
Suu Kyi remains hugely popular in Myanmar but is almost completely isolated as her family warns of her deteriorating health.
In one of his first acts as civilian president this month, Min Aung Hlaing also pardoned Suu Kyi’s chief aide, Win Myint, who served as her ceremonial president.