U.S. says American academic is 'wrongfully detained' in China
by Lisa Hornung · UPIAug. 20 (UPI) -- Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that U.S. citizen Min Zin is being wrongfully detained in China after he visited the country and was arrested.
Zin travelled to Yunnan, China, for an academic conference after being invited by the Chinese government, Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a statement. He was detained on June 3, the release said.
"The safety and security of U.S. citizens is the State Department's top priority," the release said. "We will continue to advocate for Mr. Zin and call for the release of all U.S. citizens who are arbitrarily detained or exit-banned in China."
The Chinese foreign ministry said Zin is being held on suspicion "of engaging in espionage and endangering China's national security."
"The accusations of the local security services in Yunnan that Min Zin was engaged in espionage could not be further from the truth," Aung Maw Zin, Min Zin's brother, said in a statement Thursday.
Min Zin is the founder and executive director of the Institute for Strategy and Policy -- Myanmar. He is the second American academic to be named as wrongfully detained in recent months.
Dr. Youlin Chen is the other academic wrongfully detained. His wife said in a statement Thursday that she was glad to see the designation for Zin.
"I am glad to see that Secretary Rubio has designated Min Zin as a wrongful detainee," said Dr. Yufang Rong, Youlin Chen's wife. "It meant a great deal to me when my husband, Youlin Chen, was designated because it means that his freedom is a priority for the Trump administration. I hope it gives the same comfort to Min Zin and his family."
Min Zin is also a Ph.D. candidate at the Travers Department of Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley.
ISP-Myanmar, said Min Zin was wrongfully detained while traveling to the city of Kunming in the Yunnan province for an academic workshop. His brother said he was accepted into the Berkeley Ph.D. program despite not finishing high school.
"ISP-Myanmar calls for his immediate and unconditional release," the group said. "Academic and research organizations such as ISP-Myanmar should be able to conduct research freely and without fear of intimidation."
Chinese authorities said the U.S. consulate in Guangzhou had been notified of the case.
Zin is originally from Burma, the country that became Myanmar. He fled the country in 1988 and became a U.S. citizen in 2012. His brother said he left because of his leadership in student protests in 1988, and was forced into hiding for seven years in Thailand before going to the U.S.
"He believes that China plays a critical role in ending the civil war in Burma and valued the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer learning with colleagues," Aung Maw Zin said, adding that his family is grateful to President Donald Trump and Rubio "for moving swiftly to designate Zin as wrongfully detained."