BEIJING, Oct 3 – Kim Aris, the son of Myanmar’s jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, has appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to intervene and push the country’s military junta to secure her release.
Aris, 48, who was born in Britain and has largely stayed away from politics, has recently stepped up calls to world leaders amid concerns about his 80-year-old mother’s health. Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year prison sentence on multiple charges widely seen as politically motivated.
“I appeal to President Xi Jinping to call for her release and to do more to put pressure on the junta … to make sure that those who should be freed are freed,” Aris told the South China Morning Post.
Reports have emerged that the Nobel laureate has been suffering from heart problems while in custody.
China is among the few countries maintaining close ties with Myanmar’s ruling generals since they seized power in a 2021 coup that toppled Suu Kyi’s elected government. Beijing has often called for stability but stopped short of demanding her release.