Aung San Suu Kyi's son says Nobel laureate is very ill

The son of Myanmar's detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi has raised urgent concerns about his mother's health and safety in a video message on social media, calling for her immediate release.

Kim Aris said the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been suffering from worsening heart complications in the video on Facebook published on Friday.

"From what little I have learnt she has asked to see a cardiologist but nobody knows where she is being held or if she is receiving care," he said.

Describing the situation as "cruel, life-threatening and unacceptable," Aris urged that Suu Kyi and all political prisoners be freed, emphasizing that their release is vital not only for their safety but also for the future of Myanmar, which he referred to by its previous name, Burma.

He appeared on the video in a T-shirt with a despairing picture of his mother in a red background with drops on the image designed to look like blood. Written above her image was: "Never give up OUR Hope."

Suu Kyi has been detained since the February 2021 military coup that ousted her government, which she had won a landslide election in 2020. The military has since imposed multiple sentences against her, widely seen as politically motivated by international observers.

Details about the Suu Kyi's health have only sporadically reached the public. Reports have mentioned gum problems that are said to make it partially impossible for her to eat normally. According to reports, the junta has inadequately responded to her requests for medical care.

Her detention has drawn global criticism, with human rights groups and foreign governments repeatedly calling for her release and expressing concern over her health and access to medical care.