Sawt Falasteen - Detained Aung San Suu Kyi meets Red Cross delegate in Myanmar

The military deposed Suu Kyi in February 2021, jailing the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and triggering an ongoing civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to monitor ACLED.

The coup leader and former junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, was installed as civilian president in April following highly restricted elections.

Analysts say the vote -- which did not include Suu Kyi's party -- was part of an effort to whitewash Min Aung Hlaing's rule.

Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, welcomed her meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), describing it on Monday as "an important first step" that brought hope.

Kim Aris, a British national, has sought independently verified proof that his mother is alive after she was transferred from prison to house arrest in April following Min Aung Hlaing's change in position.

He said in a social media post he hoped the meeting would lead to "greater humanitarian access, direct contact with my mother, credible and independently verified information about her wellbeing, and ultimately her immediate and unconditional release, together with all political prisoners".

An ICRC spokesperson told AFP that its resident representative to Myanmar, Arnaud de Baecque, visited Suu Kyi on Monday.

The visit included the opportunity to speak with Suu Kyi "in private", the ICRC said in a statement.

The Myanmar president's office earlier announced the meeting, releasing photos of Suu Kyi shaking hands and sitting with de Baecque.

The ICRC spokesperson confirmed the veracity of the two images, and said the group did not take them.

Suu Kyi, now 81, was moved to house arrest after Min Aung Hlaing said he had commuted the rest of her sentence.

She was detained on a host of charges that rights groups say were confected to sideline her and her popular National League for Democracy party.

"We are happy to see her photo like this if it's really her meeting with the ICRC. We can know now that she's alive," a veteran politician of her party told AFP on condition of anonymity before the ICRC confirmed the visit.

"However, Aunty should be released immediately as she's being detained unlawfully," the politician said.

- Proof of life -

Authorities have not disclosed the exact location of Suu Kyi's detention in the capital Naypyidaw, nor how many years of her sentence remain.

The ICRC did not share her location, nor details of her health condition, noting that under its working methods, the organisation's observations related to visits with detainees are only shared with the detaining authorities.

Myanmar has been largely ostracised by the international community since the coup, but analysts say Min Aung Hlaing is seeking to secure international legitimacy.

The 11-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has excluded member state Myanmar's leadership from high-level summits.

However, neighbour Thailand has been leading an effort to bring Myanmar back into the diplomatic fold, bilaterally and through the regional bloc.

Min Aung Hlaing has travelled to India, China and ASEAN member Laos since becoming president, and he is scheduled to make an official visit to Thailand this week.

"It's the old military game plan to use Suu Kyi as a bargaining chip," independent Myanmar analyst David Mathieson told AFP.

Some ASEAN nations have long called for proof of life, Mathieson said, adding that the timing of the government-permitted meeting between Suu Kyi and the ICRC representative -- days before Min Aung Hlaing's trip to Bangkok -- was no coincidence.

"As a gesture to the international community, it's the wildcard Min Aung Hlaing was holding close to his chest," he said.

The Myanmar government could "gain a lot from ASEAN" by permitting access to Suu Kyi, said Myanmar specialist Morgan Michaels.

"Releasing her in particular would go a long way to facilitating Myanmar's re-invitation at the political level," Michaels said.

Suu Kyi's continued detention remains a major sticking point for some despite Myanmar's recent diplomatic outreach.

ASEAN has pressed for its special envoy to meet Suu Kyi, but Myanmar has so far refused.

O.Salim--SF-PST