WASHINGTON – The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation applauds Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s decision to designate U.S. citizen Min Zin as wrongfully detained. Min Zin, an American academic specializing in Burma, was lured to China under false pretenses of attending an academic conference and arrested on spurious allegations shortly after arriving in the country on June 3.
Secretary Rubio’s designation signals that the U.S. government considers the allegations against Min Zin unfounded and is committed to securing his release. The designation also unlocks essential U.S. government resources for his family as they cope with his wrongful detention.
Min Zin is the second American academic the U.S. government has designated as wrongfully detained by China this year. In March, the government also designated U.S. citizen Dr. Youlin Chen as wrongfully detained. Dr. Chen has been unjustly held for 653 days. President Trump raised his case with President Xi when the two leaders met in Beijing this past May.
China’s detention of two innocent U.S. academics threatens academic freedom and will have a chilling effect on independent research and scholarly exchange. The wrongful detentions of Dr. Chen and Min Zin cannot continue. As President Trump and President Xi prepare to meet again on September 24, Dr. Chen and Min Zin must come home. President Trump has made freeing Americans wrongfully detained overseas a top priority of his administration. If China seeks a productive and constructive summit, Dr. Chen and Min Zin must be released immediately.
ABOUT THE JAMES W. FOLEY LEGACY FOUNDATION
Conflict journalist James W. Foley was taken hostage by ISIS terrorists in 2012 while covering the Syrian civil war. His captors tortured and ultimately brutally murdered him in 2014. The Foundation was established less than three weeks after his death. Inspired by the moral courage of James Foley, the Foundation advocates for American hostages and wrongful detainees held abroad and promotes journalist safety.
For more information or to learn how you can make an impact, please visit jamesfoleyfoundation.org or contact us here. Charitable donations to support the Foundation’s work may be made here.
