Is Aung San Suu Kyi Still Alive? Photo Shows Her Cutting Birthday Cake Under House Arrest, Supporters Call for Immediate Release from Myanmar Government

Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader under house arrest in Myanmar, has recently made a rare public appearance by meeting with the representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Myanmar. This marks the first time since the 2021 military coup that images of her interacting with a foreign official have been officially confirmed. The event is regarded as vital proof of her survival, reigniting demands from supporters for her immediate release.

Myanmar's Presidential Office announced that Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, met on Monday (August 3) with a representative from the ICRC. This is the first publicly documented meeting between Aung San Suu Kyi and a foreign official since she was ousted from power by the Myanmar military in the 2021 coup.

According to AFP, a statement from Myanmar's Presidential Office said that Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC's representative in Myanmar, met with Aung San Suu Kyi on the morning of August 3. However, the location of the meeting was not disclosed, nor were details of their conversation released.

Officially released photos show Aung San Suu Kyi shaking hands with a man believed to be de Baecque. Another photo captures her cutting a birthday cake, while a close-up of the cake bears the message: "Happy Birthday Aunty Suu," with the date shown as June 19, 2026.

This photo, released by Myanmar's Presidential Office on August 3, 2026, shows the former leader of Myanmar cutting a birthday cake. (AP)

The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a statement on Monday confirming that one of its representatives had visited Aung San Suu Kyi under the ICRC's standard procedures for visiting detained individuals, and held a private conversation with her. However, it did not disclose any details of the discussion.

An unnamed senior political figure from Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), told AFP: "If the person in the photo is indeed her, and if she truly met with the ICRC, then we are glad to see her picture. At least now we know she is still alive."

The political figure also emphasized: "She is being illegally detained and should be released immediately."

This photo, released by Myanmar's Presidential Office on August 3, 2026, shows former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi meeting with an ICRC representative in Naypyidaw and personally cutting a birthday cake. (AP)

In February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi's government and imprisoned her along with other elected leaders, triggering a civil war that continues to this day and has resulted in over 100,000 deaths.

The coup leader and former head of the military regime, Min Aung Hlaing, was appointed as a civilian president following elections held in April this year. Subsequently, Aung San Suu Kyi received a presidential pardon from Min Aung Hlaing, reducing her sentence and transferring her to house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi had previously been charged with multiple offenses, including illegal importation and possession of walkie-talkies, violating COVID-19 restrictions, breaching state secrets laws, incitement, election fraud, and five counts of corruption, with her total sentence reaching up to 33 years at its peak.

Human rights groups have criticized these charges as fabricated by the military regime, aimed at removing Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), from the political arena.

Health Concerns

The last time Myanmar authorities released photos of Aung San Suu Kyi was in April this year, when she was transferred from prison to house arrest and received a sentence reduction during a Buddhist holiday amnesty. However, the authorities have yet to disclose the exact location of her detention in the capital Naypyidaw or how many years remain on her sentence.

Aung San Suu Kyi's son, Kim Aris, who lives in London, along with numerous pro-democracy activists, continue to lead online campaigns demanding that the military government provide verifiable evidence proving that she is safe and unharmed.

Since the coup, Myanmar has largely been isolated from the international community, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), consisting of 11 member states, has excluded Myanmar's leadership from high-level summits.

To project an image of normalized governance to the outside world, the Myanmar military has pushed forward plans for elections in 2025 while increasing diplomatic engagement with neighboring countries. Since assuming the presidency, Min Aung Hlaing has visited India, China, and Laos, and plans an official visit to Thailand this week.

In July, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow told the media that Myanmar's Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, during his visit to Thailand, assured regional foreign ministers that Aung San Suu Kyi was in "good health."

However, critics point out that although Myanmar has transitioned to a nominally elected government, it is largely composed of former generals and ex-military officials, meaning there has been little change in the military's grip on national power.

Despite progress in diplomatic outreach, Aung San Suu Kyi's continued detention remains a major point of contention unacceptable to many countries. ASEAN has repeatedly requested that the Myanmar government allow its special envoy on Myanmar to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, but these requests have so far been denied.

Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition 'National Unity Government' (NUG), stated that the ICRC's visit should not be seen as a genuine effort by the military regime to address human rights or democratic issues.

"From the beginning, the national leader was wrongfully arrested and imprisoned without fault, so she must be unconditionally released," Nay Phone Latt said.

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