For over 100 days, Sylvia Zin has not been allowed to see or speak with her husband Min Zin, a U.S. citizen and scholar whose work focuses on Myanmar.
asserted
work → allow → Myanmar
She says he is being held without charge in China at a detention facility that is referred to by human rights groups as a "black site."
asserted
that → say → site
In an interview with CBS News, Sylvia Zin shared that the Chinese Ministry of State Security, or MSS, has not formally charged him with a crime nor given him a trial date.
asserted
Ministry → share → date
"They just said he's under investigation for endangering national security.
asserted
he → say → security
That's all we know," she tearfully explained.
asserted
she → know → ?
He's not doing anything wrong."
asserted
He → do → anything
She shared the terror of the first hours of Min's disappearance.
asserted
She → share → disappearance
His last message to her was a brief text on June 3 to tell her that he had landed in the Chinese city of Kunming.
asserted
he → tell → Kunming
He had traveled there from his home in Thailand for an academic conference at the invitation of a Chinese professor.
asserted
He → travel → professor
That night, Sylvia Zin received calls from Min Zin's worried colleagues.
asserted
Zin → receive → colleagues
"We started calling the immigration, the luggage — you know — carousel at the airport where he landed, the professor that invited him to see what happened to him," Sylvia Zin said.
asserted
Zin → call → him
"He didn't check into the hotel, and so we knew, like, he was missing."
asserted
he → check → hotel
The next day, Sylvia Zin called the U.S. consulates in the area to ask for help.
asserted
Zin → call → help
She then received a call from a +86 area code, indicating it was a Chinese phone number.
asserted
it → receive → code
"I answered right away," she said, and described the caller's voice as "very heavily accented."
asserted
she → answer → voice
She said she frantically took notes as the voice on the other end told her in English that the authorities were doing a "preliminary compulsory investigation.
asserted
authorities → say → investigation
"I didn't understand.
asserted
I → understand → ?
I was trying to ask, like, 'What does that mean?
asserted
that → try → What
Does it mean you have my husband?'
asserted
you → mean → husband
You know, — what — 'how is he?'
asserted
he → know → ?
And then they just hung up," Sylvia said.
asserted
Sylvia → hang → ?
Held in undisclosed location without access to lawyer
Min Zin is being held by China's Ministry of State Security at a location classified as a "Residential Surveillance at a Designated Location" or RSDL, according to multiple sources closely tracking his case.
uncertain
Zin → hold → case
Human rights groups refer to RSDLs as "black sites," since Chinese authorities take people into custody at undisclosed locations without providing them with access to a lawyer or judicial review.
asserted
authorities → refer → lawyer
The United Nations considers RSDL use to be a form of enforced disappearance and possibly torture.
uncertain
use → consider → disappearance
U.S. officials declined to comment on the conditions of Min Zin's captivity but confirmed to CBS News that Chinese authorities have permitted American consular officials to meet with him on a monthly basis in 30-minute increments at a nearby hotel.
asserted
authorities → decline → hotel
Sylvia Zin described the three encounters that have so far taken place as heavily monitored.
asserted
that → describe → place
She has been told that her husband has lost weight and has developed knee pain, but Min Zin has not been permitted to discuss what has happened to him during his detention.
asserted
what → tell → detention
He was able to say he was interrogated for four to six hours but she does not know how often he is being questioned.
asserted
he → say → hours
She said that she has written letters to her husband for a U.S. official to read aloud to him.
asserted
official → say → him
The family has retained an attorney, but Min Zin has not been permitted access to the lawyer.
asserted
Zin → retain → lawyer
"I want to know what I'm fighting against," Sylvia Zin told CBS News in the interview, which took place in Washington last Friday.
asserted
which → want → Washington
"You know, do I prepare for a trial?
asserted
I → know → trial
If there's a purpose, you know, then I can kind of work towards that purpose, right?"
asserted
I → be → purpose
The State Department recently issued a warning to Americans traveling to mainland China due to "arbitrary enforcement of local laws, the use of exit bans without a fair and transparent process under the law, and the risk of unjust arrest or detention."
asserted
Department → issue → arrest
The warning states that Chinese law allows a wide range of information to be classified as state secrets.
asserted
range → state → secrets
That could result in increased harassment of academics conducting research, businesspeople collecting data or journalists.
uncertain
That → result → data
Past work with the U.S. government may also make Americans a target.
uncertain
Americans → make → government
Sylvia Zin and her husband both fled Burma, now known as Myanmar, in their youth during the pro-democracy movement in the 1980s.
asserted
Zin → flee → 1980s
They became naturalized U.S. citizens and California residents.
asserted
They → become → ?
Min Zin runs a think tank, ISP-Myanmar, which studies China's role in Myanmar, which is run by a Beijing-backed military junta.
asserted
which → run → junta
…and 38 more, not listed.
The Aporia
