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Myanmar says King Charles sent books to Suu Kyi
BBC News, Myanmar
Published: 20 Oct 2026, 02:15 PM
Photo: Myanmar President Spokesperson Office
King Charles III has sent two books to detained Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's military government said, as it released photographs of officials delivering the books and a sealed letter to her on Monday.
Suu Kyi, 81, has been detained since the military ousted her government in 2021 and imprisoned for what are widely viewed as trumped-up charges.
Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing is seeking to break Myanmar's international isolation after he was named president in an election widely condemned as neither free nor fair.
Min Aung Hlaing, who is barred from western countries and accused of crimes against humanity, has been on a diplomatic blitz within Asia and is also talking to the US.
The books presented to Suu Kyi were identified as Soil to Table by British gardeners Bridget Elworthy and Henrietta Courtauld, and Soil: The World at Our Feet, the catalogue from an exhibition held in London last year.
Soil to Table has been described as "a celebration of soil and its connection to the food we eat".
Suu Kyi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent struggle for democracy in Myanmar, is known to have been reading extensively while in prison, especially on religion and nature.
The photographs accompanying Monday's statement show Suu Kyi in a pale green Burmese traditional blouse and an olive-coloured skirt, seated across the table from two men in white shirts.
It gives no details on her state of health, nor what else was discussed during the interaction.
Suu Kyi, who had initially been sentenced to 33 years in jail following the military coup, was moved to house arrest in June.
In August, the government released photographs of her with a representative from the International Committee of the Red Cross, the first confirmed foreign contact with her since a letter to her son Kim Aris two-and-a-half years ago.
London-based Kim Aris, who has for years been campaigning for his mother's release, welcomed the news then and said Suu Kyi appeared to be "in good health" based on the photographs.