The International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR) and Forum 2000 Foundation are deeply concerned by the wrongful detention of Min Zin, a prominent democracy advocate and independent scholar, in China.
On June 3, 2026, Min Zin, a United States citizen, was detained upon arrival at the airport in Yunnan province after traveling there on invitation of a Chinese university for an academic workshop. He has since spent over one hundred days in criminal detention at an undisclosed location investigated on spurious allegations of espionage and endangering China’s national security. Since his wrongful detention, there has been little information regarding Min Zin’s condition, access to legal counsel, or any evidence supporting the allegations against him. On August 20th, the United States government formally designated Min Zin as wrongfully detained.
China’s detention of Min Zin is an affront to international norms and standards and sends a chilling message to those in our community who uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and the open exchange of ideas.
Min Zin has long been a part of the Forum 2000 family and is an active believer in this community’s mission. As a student activist in Burma’s “8888” democracy movement, he spent nine years underground organizing communities before fleeing to the Thailand-Burma border. Journalism became his way of continuing to serve the movement from exile. Through various media publications, Min Zin helped tell the story of a people the Burmese military regime tried to silence – a regime that continues to repress its people’s democratic aspirations even today. He eventually found his way to the University of California – Berkeley where he received his master’s in Asian studies and pursued a PhD in Political Science.
In 2016, and at a moment of hope for the country’s future, Min Zin returned to Burma. Informed by his deep commitment to democracy and freedom, he founded the Institute for Strategy and Policy - Myanmar (ISP), a now highly regarded independent think tank that conducts open-source research and analysis on Burma and empowers the country’s next generation of thought leaders.
Min Zin often spoke about how he walked away from his first Forum 2000 Conference in 2001 with a deep understanding of the critical importance that those on the frontlines in the struggle for democracy not only be able lean on one another for solidarity and support but also learn from one another’s trials and triumphs. He considered it an honor of a lifetime to be part of a cohort of advocates to speak alongside Václav Havel when he received the NED Democracy Service Medal in 2007. Years later, when Min Zin learned of Havel’s passing, he posted a tribute writing “Since I lived in Burma and was on the run to escape from the arrest of the military regime, I sought inspiration and courage from reading a poor Xeroxed copy of The Power of the Powerless. Havel has guided me all the way along.”
It is in this vein that the members of ICDR and participants of the Forum 2000 Conference express their solidarity with Min Zin. We call upon President Xi and the relevant authorities in China to facilitate Min Zin’s immediate and unconditional release and his safe return home.
