Myanmar’s military junta has allowed representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, to meet ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the government. Spokesperson Khain Soe said Suu Kyi recently met an ICRC delegation led by Arnaud de Baecque in the administrative capital Naypyidaw. The report described this as the first publicly disclosed meeting between Suu Kyi and foreign officials since the 2021 military coup.

An ICRC-released photograph showed the detained Nobel laureate cutting a cake, reportedly for her 81st birthday. The cake carried the message, “Happy Birthday Aunty Su.” AFP said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the images, although AI-based analysis found no clear evidence of editing. AFP also contacted the ICRC for comment on the published photographs.

Suu Kyi has been imprisoned for several years, prompting concerns in Myanmar and abroad about her health. An unnamed senior leader of her National League for Democracy said that, if genuine, the images would at least confirm that she is alive. The leader called for her immediate release and described her detention as illegal. Suu Kyi’s supporters affectionately refer to her as “Aunty Su.”