The Myanmar military junta is strategically using Aung San Suu Kyi to reduce international diplomatic isolation and rebuild their shattered political credibility.
A strong indication of this tactic emerged in early August 2026, when the junta released the first official photographs of Suu Kyi in five years. In the photos, the 81-year-old democracy activist appeared healthy and was meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representative, Arnaud de Baecque, in Naypyitaw