Burmese opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was reunited on Tuesday with her youngest son Kim Aris after almost ten years of separation. Suu Kyi met her 33-year-old son at Yangon International Airport, after he was granted a visa in what appears to be an unprecedented, cautious gesture by the junta.

Suu Kyi, now 65, spent some 15 years in jail or under house arrest in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). Her house arrest ended on 13 November 2010, leaving Suu Kyi free to move within Myanmar's borders.

Historic
One journalist, a regular visitor to Myanmar, called Aung San Suu Kyi's release "an historic event". The reporter, who wants to remain anonymous, was in the crowd which heard the opposition leader address the public for the first time in a decade.

"The first word that came to mind when I saw her was 'unbroken'. I was amazed to see the ease with which she interacted with people and spoke to the crowd, how energetically she moved. She looked physically fit and she was exuberant. It really struck me, because she also has a very principled and stern side."

Aloof
The aloofness that Aung San Suu Kyi sometimes displays was nowhere to be seen. She no longer looked like the woman who wants to hold the reins at all times. The question remains whether the lifting of the house arrest really signals a fundamental change in Myanmar. Suu Kyi has been released before.

According to the reporter: "Aung San Suu Kyi said that she had not been in touch with the military junta since her release. They appeared to not be very interested in talking to her. So it's too early to say whether her release is a step towards democracy and more freedom."

Uniform
The journalist believes the primary objective of the recent elections was to reinforce the political power of the army: "Many of the military simply changed out of their uniforms and went into politics."

The reporter says that even during the run-up to the elections it was clear what the junta intended. It unashamedly gave preferential treatment to a pro-junta party, which as a result, won outright. Meanwhile, wide-spread popular support for Suu Kyi remains undiminished:

"I was sitting close to the fence when she appeared [outside her house in Yangon] and later I was at her party headquarters. When I saw how thousands of people joined the crowd, I thought: these are in fact the real elections. Compared to this surge, the 7 November general elections took place in a climate of resignation and even fear."

Junta cameras
The contrast with the day of Suu Kyi's release could not be greater. Her supporters showed enormous courage by loudly voicing their support, because the junta filmed everything. On previous occasions, supporters of the opposition leader were arrested as soon as the international reporters had gone.

In spite of this, Suu Kyi is certain to remain very cautious for the time being, because she is under constant military scrutiny and could be re-arrested at any moment. Aung San Suu Kyi is trying to make it clear to the junta that she will continue her political struggle, while trying to avoid provoking it at the same time.

One recent example of her cautious approach is Suu Kyi's answer to a question about the economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar. She refused to comment on the sanctions until she had heard from the people affected. It's clear that Aung San Suu Kyi continues to display great political instinct, while refusing to be rushed.