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Zin Linn was born on February 9, 1946 in a small town in Mandalay Division. He began writing poems in 1960 and received a B.A (Philosophy) in 1976.
He became an activist in the High School Union after the students' massacre on 7th July 1962. He then took on a role as an active member in the Rangoon Division Students' Union. He Participated in a poster-and-pamphlet campaign on the 4th anniversary of 7 July movement and went into hiding to keep away from the military police. He was still able to carry out underground pamphlet campaigns against the Burmese Socialist Programme Party ( BSPP). However, in 1982, he fell into the hands of MI and served two years imprisonment in the notorious Insein prison.
In 1988 he took part, together with his old students' union members, in the People's Democracy Uprising. In November of that year, he became an NLD Executive Committee Member for the Thingangyun Township and later became superintendent of the NLD Rangoon Division Office.
In 1991, he was arrested because of his connections with the exiled government, the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in the notorious Insein Prison. In last week of December 1997 he was released.
Zin Linn was an editor and columnist and contributed articles to various publications, especially on international affairs, while in Burma.
He fled Burma in 2001 to escape from military intelligence and worked as information director for the NCGUB from 2001 to 2012. He is also vice president of the Burma Media Association which is affiliated with the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontiers. Zin Linn is still writing articles and commentaries in Burmese and English in various periodicals and online journals on a regular basis.
SHARE Thursday, March 14, 2013 Burma government urges to rescind draft printing bill
the interim Press Council has been assigned drafting a code of conduct and to offer its input in rewriting a draft media law proposed by the Information Ministry.
SHARE Friday, June 28, 2013 Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking still at large in Burma
The total opium-poppy cultivation area in Myanmar in 2012 was estimated at 51,000 ha, a 17% increase from the 43,600 ha cultivation area in 2011. In 2012, potential opium production increased by 13% to 690 mt. During the year, an estimated 300,000 households were involved in opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar.
SHARE Wednesday, October 19, 2011 Who is the grand-master of civil war in Burma?
Who is the decision-maker of the war against the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)? Although, President Thein Sein has been speaking about the national unity for many times, the wars with ethnic groups continue. If these wars are not launched by the government, then the person responsible for this war may be the present military boss General Min Aung Hlaing.
SHARE Sunday, April 4, 2010 US and EU should pressure more on Burma
People of Burma are looking forward to the international community to stand with them. They hope not only from European Union but also from governments around the globe to say publicly that they do not take into account the regime's election and prearranged outcome, and pressure the regime to make substantive and positive change for Burma.
SHARE Saturday, June 26, 2010 ASEAN must have a specific evaluation on unfair polls in Burma
The UN should also urge Asean leaders to make concerted efforts on democratization in Burma. Burma is likely to come under the international limelight for its continued detention of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and 2,200 political prisoners ahead of its so-called elections for disciplined democracy.
SHARE Saturday, December 26, 2009 No Sign of political growth in Burma
The Burmese populace feels it is time for the international community to raise this half-century-long political conflict in the next U.N. Security Council. They hope for aglobal arms embargo against Burma's military junta, and an investigation into crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the military regime. The people of Burma are hoping that the international community will not put aside their fate.
SHARE Wednesday, September 30, 2009 U.S. Policy Shift on Burma: The release of Aung San Suu Kyi must be the main focus of attention
The military regime in Burma has declared plans to hold the country's first election in two decades next year as part of its 7-step road map which actually designed as a sham to entrench the military's hold on power. People around the world, who are interested in Burma question, keenly watch the new diplomatic shift of the US towards the military ruled country. According to Mrs. Clinton, the US will engage directly with Burmes
SHARE Monday, August 1, 2011 Burma needs wide-ranging international pressure for political change
Not only Mr. Ban but also ASEAN leaders should stop reciting rhetorical verses via media, said some observers in the country. At least, they should show their pragmatic supporting towards Quintana's Commission of Inquiry proposal.
SHARE Monday, September 20, 2010 Is China interfering Burma's Internal Affairs?
China defended the upcoming elections as Burma's internal affair and urged other countries not to interfere. China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that the international community can provide constructive help to the upcoming election and refrain from making any negative impact on the domestic political process and the regional peace and stability.
SHARE Friday, July 10, 2009 Mr Ban Ki-moon's speech must not end just in Rangoon
People of Burma did not surprise when they were informed about the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's dissatisfied story during his July 3-4 Burma-trip. Anyway, it will be at lease a good lesson for the top diplomat that the military dictatorship in this country knows no international norms or diplomatic tradition at all.
SHARE Tuesday, September 13, 2011 Burma's egocentric Minister confront the public concerning giant dam on Irrawaddy
Burma's Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi released a letter on 11 August calling on promoters of the Myitsone dam project to reassess the plan, pointing out concerns that dams on the Irrawaddy River damage the environment, decrease rice production, dislodge ethnic peoples. Besides, it would hurt livelihoods of local communities and there is a risk of possible destructive earthquakes.
SHARE Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Burma blames embassies and media concerning news reports on Kachin war
Even though the Defense Ministry said its troops stopped offensive operations except self-defense, its soldiers have increasingly sped up the offensive war to a new phase. It is not clear whether the government is saying one thing and doing another or the soldiers themselves are going against the President's orders.
SHARE Friday, July 11, 2014 Does Burma's reform reverse as journalists got harsh prison term?
The public has a right to be informed on a subject of general interest like the story covered by the Unity Journal. Journalists who are just doing their job must be protected, and if anyone has to be prosecuted, it should be the newspaper. Under no circumstances should journalists be imprisoned because of the content of their articles.
SHARE Tuesday, July 23, 2013 Burma President says more than done on human rights
On the same day, the Kachin National Organization (KNO) issued a statement criticizing Thein Sein and the British government's red carpet treatment for the ex-army general many Kachin consider a war criminal. The KNO statement mentions that under Thein Sein's leadership Burma's military has carried out "crime against humanity, war crimes and violation of international law" in Kachin state.
SHARE Saturday, January 26, 2013 Burma would like ceasefire, but KIO calls for political talks
The government armed forces have unreasonably violated the 1994 ceasefire agreement and invaded Kachin territory by force. Then, the government deployed more infantry units in Kachin region and refused to pull out even though have been constant calls from KIO and local residents.
If government troops moved back up to the 1994 ceasefire-line, it means reinstatement of the ceasefire treaty.
SHARE Friday, May 22, 2009 ASEAN must support Aung San Suu Kyi
The Burmese people feel that the military regime has been using membership in ASEAN as a shield to protect itself from international pressure over its dismal human rights record. Yet ASEAN's prestige has been tarnished because of the military regime's membership. To strengthen itself, ASEAN should insist on the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is guilty only of pursuing a peaceful and democratic Burma.
SHARE Saturday, June 18, 2011 ASEAN urges for urgent peace dialogue in Burma
The most important demand by the AIPMC is that Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa, in his power as chairman of ASEAN, together with other ASEAN leaders have to reject Burma or Myanmar's application to chair ASEAN in 2014.
SHARE Wednesday, July 17, 2013 Media Watchdog calls for crimes against journalists in Burma
Hence, Reporters Without Borders urges President U Thein Sein to create a Commission of Enquiry dedicated to combating impunity for crimes against news providers since 1962. It says that Burma is now starting a new page in history and the process of democratization begun by his government will not be complete without an official effort to render justice for the victims of the previous military junta's crimes.
SHARE Thursday, February 7, 2013 Burma initiates a committee scrutinizing the political prisoners left behind
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) is a human rights organization based in Mae Sot, Thailand that works for the release of all political prisoners and for the improvement of prison conditions inside Burma. Set up in 2000, AAPP is entirely run by former political prisoners.
SHARE Sunday, October 18, 2015 Burma's Nationwide Ceasefire Accord looks like half-done
Participation of all the ethnic armed groups was agreed during the Laiza Conference in November 2013 to sign the treaty. During an inspection tour in Kachin state On 16 March 2014, U Thein Sein promised to build a free and open society that encourages full participation of all national races, the state-run newspaper said.