YANGON: Jailed Myanmar democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved from prison to house arrest, a military official said on Wednesday, as the junta announced a heatwave had prompted measures to protect inmates.

The 78-year-old Nobel laureate is serving a 27-year sentence for a host of criminal convictions ranging from corruption to breaching Covid-19 rules.

Suu Kyi has largely been hidden from view since the military detained her as they seized power in a 2021 coup, and she has reportedly suffered health problems.

A military official said Suu Kyi and former president Win Myint had been moved from prison to house arrest. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said that a spell of hot weather had prompted authorities to take measures to protect vulnerable detainees.

“Not only Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and U Win Myint but also some old prisoners were given necessary care because of very hot weather,” Zaw Min Tun said.

The temperature in capital Naypyidaw, where Suu Kyi is believed to be in custody in a specially constructed compound, is expected to hit 41 C (105.8 F) on Wednesday, with even hotter weather forecast for the coming week.

The junta also announced on Wednesday that 3,300 prisoners would be freed as part of a regular amnesty to mark the country’s new year festival.

Outside Yangon’s Insein Prison, about 200 to 300 relatives and friends waited to greet prisoners as they were taken out of the compound in buses.

It was not immediately clear how long Suu Kyi would be allowed to remain under house arrest beyond the heatwave, or whether the move represented an official reduction in her sentence.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024