The Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar) issued a public statement marking 100 days since its executive director, Min Zin, was “wrongfully detained” by Chinese authorities.
Min Zin, a naturalized U.S. citizen and prominent Myanmar scholar, was taken into custody on June 3, while traveling to Kunming, Yunnan Province, to attend an academic workshop.
The think tank warned that the ongoing detention of an independent researcher severely risks damaging Beijing’s long-term diplomatic strategy and people-to-people relations with Myanmar.
Background of detention and legal allegations
Chinese authorities have accused Min Zin of “engaging in espionage” and “endangering national security”—charges strongly rejected by his family, ISP-Myanmar, and international advocacy groups, including Human Rights Watch and Fortify Rights.
However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry explicitly rejected the U.S. classification the following day, insisting that Beijing acts under the rule of law and alleging that Min Zin’s activities violated Chinese national security statutes.
Career and organizational legacy
- Pro-Democracy Roots: Min Zin began his political career as a student activist during Myanmar’s 1988 pro-democracy uprising before seeking political asylum in the U.S.
- Academic Credentials: After relocating to the U.S., he pursued doctoral studies in political science at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Founding of ISP-Myanmar: In 2016, Min Zin co-founded ISP-Myanmar as an independent, non-partisan think tank dedicated to analyzing conflict, governance, and China-Myanmar strategic relations. Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the organization relocated its operational headquarters to Thailand.
ISP-Myanmar and Min Zin’s family, along with several international human rights organizations, continues to call on Beijing for his immediate and unconditional release, emphasizing that his trip to Kunming was conducted strictly for academic exchange.
