Kim Aris urged Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday to pressure Myanmar's military junta to release his mother, Aung San Suu Kyi, who has remained in solitary confinement after spending 19 years in detention since 1989. The 48-year-old son of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient said Beijing holds significant influence over the generals because of long-standing ties and extensive investments in the Southeast Asian nation. Aris warned that scam operations targeting Chinese citizens have cost billions of dollars, and he said the December election scheduled by the junta would deepen the crisis because more than 40 parties cannot participate.
Suu Kyi met Xi in 2020 before the military seized power from her National League for Democracy party in February 2021. China invested more than $7.7 billion in Myanmar for the 2024-25 financial year, and the nation imported 44,000 metric tons of rare earth elements from the country last year. Aris said his mother developed productive relations with Beijing before the coup, but the junta leader has failed to maintain stability. The United Nations estimated that authorities arrested 29,209 individuals on political grounds since 2021.
Suu Kyi met Xi in 2020 before the military seized power from her National League for Democracy party in February 2021. China invested more than $7.7 billion in Myanmar for the 2024-25 financial year, and the nation imported 44,000 metric tons of rare earth elements from the country last year. Aris said his mother developed productive relations with Beijing before the coup, but the junta leader has failed to maintain stability. The United Nations estimated that authorities arrested 29,209 individuals on political grounds since 2021.
