Myanmar’s detained democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi met with the Red Cross representative to the country yesterday, the humanitarian group said, the first publicised meeting between her and a foreign official since she was ousted in a 2021 coup.

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

Aris has sought independently verified proof that his mother is alive after she was transferred from prison to house arrest in April.