US and ASEAN chair the Philippines call for unconditional release of Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi

The U.S. State Department and the 2026 chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reiterated their calls on Friday for the unconditional release of Myanmar’s jailed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners.

On Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi met with a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after years of questions over her health and well-being following her arrest during a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 that ousted her elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government.

In separate statements, the State Department and ASEAN chair, the Philippines, both welcomed the ICRC visit and said they hoped it was the start of regular access, including for medical care, to the 81-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner.

“We urge the further expansion of access to persons held in detention in Myanmar since February 2021, and reiterate our call for their release, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s complete and unconditional release,” the government in Manila said in its statement.