Myanmar tells ASEAN detained Aung San Suu Kyi will be looked after, special envoy says

Aung San Suu Kyi is seen at a school in Kawhmu, Yangon, on Jul 18, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Ann Wang)

The top diplomats of the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations met in person with their Myanmar counterpart on Sunday for the first time since the coup, in an effort to kick-start a five-year-old peace initiative that has failed to end a civil war gripping the country.

BANGKOK: Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were told on Sunday (Jul 12) by their Myanmar counterpart that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi is in good health and would be looked after, ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar said.

Ms Maria Theresa Lazaro, the Philippine foreign minister, has been seeking access to Ms Aung San Suu Kyi, 81, who has been detained since her elected government was ousted in a 2021 military coup.

"My recollection of the statement of the Myanmar foreign minister on Aung San Suu Kyi is that she's in good health and that the premise of how he said this is that she is a relative, she's a sister and therefore we will take care of her," Ms Lazaro told a press conference.

Ms Aung San Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence, recently commuted by one-third, on a series of charges that her allies said were fabricated to keep her out of politics, including incitement, corruption, election fraud and violations of the state ​secrets law. She has denied wrongdoing.