Suu Kyi relatives tell of joy as they await call

Published on Sunday 14 November 2010 15:10

Aung San Suu Kyi's relatives in Britain told of their joy in anticipation of her first phone call in more than 20 years.

Her brother-in-law Adrian Phillips said Ms Suu Kyi's priority would now be to make contact with her two sons.

The 68-year-old said family members were eagerly awaiting to hear from her and "catch up on more 20 years of family history".

"I haven't seen her for 22 years," he said. "I would be thrilled to speak to her. There are all sorts of things to talk about.

"She will be absolutely surrounded by people but I'm sure one of the first things she will want to do is make contact with her sons."

It is likely to be a while before Ms Suu Kyi - whose late husband, the British scholar Michael Aris, died of prostate cancer in 1999 at 53 - sees her relatives.

Her youngest son, Kim, 33, who still lives in the UK and has not seen his mother in ten years, has been awaiting her release in Bangkok, Thailand, for about a month.

He has yet to be granted a Burmese visa which will mean it may be some time before he is reunited with his mother.

Her eldest son Alexander is currently in west coast America.

Speaking from Warminster, Wiltshire, Mr Phillips, a retired publisher who is married to the sister of Ms Suu Kyi's late husband, said relatives had celebrated her release with a toast at his home. "Now we have to catch up on 20 years of family history," he added.

He and his wife ?are waiting for the veteran human rights campaigner to make contact.

Asked when they might hear from her, he said: "We will leave it to her. I am sure that she will be more than busy over the next few weeks."

But he insisted family would be "absolutely behind" her next move. "We support her in any way we can which is non-political," he said. "Our job is to look after the family."