Political Prisoner Record

Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi: UN Working Group opinion and current status

UN Working Group on Arbitrary DetentionOpinion No. 46/2008, adopted 28 November 2008

This opinion concerns an earlier period of detention, her house arrest from 30 May 2003, and not her detention after the 2021 coup. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found her continued house arrest arbitrary, in violation of articles 9, 10 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of domestic law, and said the violations fall under categories I, II and III. It asked the Government to release her immediately and without condition. The opinion lists earlier opinions on her detention, Nos. 8/1992, 2/2002, 9/2004 and 2/2007.1

Category ICategory IICategory III

Read the opinion

Government position

According to the opinion, the Government did not respond to the communication. The Working Group rejected an earlier Government argument about the date on which its order took effect.1

Background

According to the opinion, she had been under house arrest since 30 May 2003, renewed annually, with the latest renewal on 28 May 2008 under the 1975 State Protection Law. The Working Group found that the renewal exceeded the five year limit in that law.1

Status now

Reuters reported on 17 April 2026 that she was serving a 27 year sentence, cut by one sixth in an amnesty, and that her whereabouts had been unknown. On 30 April 2026 state broadcaster MRTV announced that President Min Aung Hlaing had commuted the remainder of her sentence to be served at a designated residence, per NPR and Reuters. Reuters reported on 1 May 2026 that a member of her legal team said she was in Naypyidaw. NPR reported that her son, Kim Aris, said he did not know where she was and that the move had not been independently verified.2,3,4

As of 1 May 2026.

Findings on this site are those of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent body of experts. Its opinions are not court judgments. Each record includes the government's position where it gave one.

Sources

  1. University of Minnesota Human Rights Library (copy of UN document), Opinion No. 46/2008 (Myanmar), full text mirror (28 November 2008)
  2. Reuters (via Dawn), Myanmar cuts ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence, frees former president (17 April 2026)
  3. NPR (via New Hampshire Public Radio), Myanmar junta says Suu Kyi moved to house arrest, doubts linger (30 April 2026)
  4. Reuters (via The Nation Thailand), Suu Kyi moved to house arrest in Naypyidaw as lawyers plan visit (1 May 2026)