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Chinese officials have once again apprehended popular Tibetan youth singer Ah Sang, just weeks following his brief release in early August, according to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) based in Washington. His current location is reportedly unknown, according to a Phayul report.
Ah Sang was allegedly taken into custody a few days after he briefly appeared online in August 2025, only to disappear from public view shortly thereafter. ICT observed that after his release in August, local Public Security Bureau officers in Ngaba County subjected him to strict surveillance and imposed severe restrictions on live-streaming and social media communication, as noted by Phayul. He is believed to be in detention without any formal accusations against him. Despite earlier assurances in October that family visits would be allowed, authorities have prevented his relatives from accessing him. His family members are now also under strict surveillance and prohibited from discussing his situation. Consequently, information regarding his health, whereabouts, and treatment remains severely limited, according to ICT. Ah Sang, one of the most cherished singers among Tibetans in Tibet, has over 200,000 followers on the Chinese content-sharing platform Kuaishou. He was initially arrested on July 8, 2025, after performing and posting the song "Prince of Peace" on Kuaishou in honour of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, an action considered politically sensitive by Chinese authorities, as highlighted in the Phayul report. After his brief release in August, his wife created a new Kuaishou account, which quickly gained 87,000 followers, to communicate a message confirming his safety and expressing gratitude to supporters: "We're here to report that we're safe... We'll be back online soon." Both her account and Ah Sang's original account were subsequently deactivated following his re-arrest. Ah Sang hails from Ngaba (Ch. Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, which is part of the traditional Tibetan area of Amdo, as cited in the Phayul report. (ANI)
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