Name: Min Zin
Country: Burma
Min Zin, an American citizen who has been part of the democracy movement in Burma for decades, was arrested in June at China’s Kunming airport and has since been designated as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government.
Min Zin was detained June 17 en route to an academic conference to which he was invited by a “professor that he had known for a number of years from the Yunnan Academy of Social Science,” according to his brother Aung Maw Zin. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has said that Min Zin was initially held on “suspicion of engaging in espionage and endangering Chinese national security.”
Min Zin wrote often about China’s influence in Burma. China is one of the only countries that supports Burma’s ruling military junta and endorsed its recent elections, which most Western countries, the United Nations, and human rights groups have condemned as a sham. Plus, decades ago, he took part in student protests, forcing him to flee Burma in 1989 to avoid arrest. He went into exile in the United States, studied political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and eventually became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
ISP-Myanmar, the organization Min Zin co-founded and now leads as executive director, is presently based in Thailand following the 2021 military coup in Burma. ISP-Myanmar conducts research on conflict, peace and security, and China studies to advance democracy, build a federal union, and strengthen civil society in Burma, according to its website.
The U.S. government designated Min Zin as wrongfully detained on Aug. 20, two months after his arrest. This is unusual: Most Americans arrested or detained abroad don’t receive the designation – only those held under specific politically motivated or dubious circumstances.
What exactly does it mean for an American citizen to be declared wrongfully detained?
There are 11 criteria, though each case must meet only one of them, according to the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act. They include detention because the person is American and being held as a bargaining chip; the denial of due process; and innocence of the charges brought against them, among others.
The secretary of state makes the final determination whether to designate the American as wrongfully detained. Once someone is classified this way, the law requires the U.S. government to actively work for their release. The label also allows the United States to assign more resources toward ensuring their release, including authorizing the implementation of sanctions.
Min Zin’s arrest while traveling for an academic event was completely arbitrary, and the accusations brought against him lack any credible evidence.
The Chinese government should immediately release him and dismiss the bogus charges brought against him, and the United States must continue to advocate for his release, and the release of all political prisoners around the world.
