Two photographs published with the announcement showed Suu Kyi shaking hands with Arnaud de Baecque, the ICRC’s representative to Myanmar, and meeting with him in a wood-paneled room. Two other photographs showed Suu Kyi cutting a pink birthday cake bearing the inscription, “Happy Birthday Aunty Suu, 19.6.2026,” suggesting they may have been taken during a celebration for her 81st birthday in June. In the photos, Suu Kyi appeared relaxed and was smiling. The release came as calls are growing from other countries, including Myanmar’s fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for access to or engagement with Suu Kyi as part of efforts to resolve the country’s political crisis. Suu Kyi was detained Feb. 1, 2021, when the army seized power from her elected government.