Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 5: Chinese authorities have once again detained popular Tibetan youth singer Ah Sang, just weeks after his short-lived release in early August, according to the Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Ah Sang was reportedly taken into custody a few days after briefly reappearing online in August 2025, only to vanish from public view soon after. ICT noted that following his August release, local Public Security Bureau officers in Ngaba County placed him under tight surveillance and imposed strict bans on live-streaming or communicating via social media.
He is believed to remain in detention without formal charges. Despite assurances in October that family visitation would be permitted, authorities have denied his relatives any access. His family members are now themselves under stringent surveillance and barred from speaking about his case. As a result, information about his condition, location, and treatment remains extremely limited, ICT said.
Ah Sang, one of the most beloved singers among Tibetans in Tibet, amassed over 200,000 followers on the Chinese content-sharing platform Kuaishou. He was first arrested on July 8, 2025, after performing and posting the song “Prince of Peace” on Kuaishou in celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, an act deemed politically sensitive by Chinese authorities.
Following his brief August release, his wife created a new Kuaishou account, quickly gaining 87,000 followers, to share a message announcing his safety and thanking 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 after his re-arrest.
Ah Sang is from Ngaba (Ch. Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, part of the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo.
