US scholar Min Zin
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Zin was being wrongfully detained after a review of the circumstances surrounding his detention, the State Department said.
He was also involved in Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy protests. Despite his background, Zin had previously travelled to China for academic events without reported problems, including a Chinese government-backed conference in October 2025.
The department said Zin had travelled to China to attend an academic conference at the invitation of the Chinese government. It also accused Chinese authorities of luring him to the country and said the allegations against him were unfounded. Liu Chang, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said Zin was being investigated for a criminal offence and that his legal rights were being protected. His academic work has focused on Myanmar’s democracy and ethnic conflicts and has received US government funding, a spokeswoman for his family told WSJ. Zin is being kept in a small room with no windows, a bed and a toilet, with the lights left on continuously, according to the family spokeswoman. He appears to be in good health but has complained of knee pain, the spokeswoman said. The State Department said Zin and another US citizen, Dr Youlin Chen, are currently being wrongfully detained in China.
China has disputed the US characterisation. Zin was born in Myanmar and later moved to the US, where he became a citizen. Guards are present and he is questioned for four to six hours a day. When he is not being questioned, he reportedly spends several hours meditating.