In a stark reminder of the grim realities facing Tibetans under Chinese rule, two young Tibetan singers have been arrested and held incommunicado for performing a song honoring the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The incident, which unfolded in Ngaba County of eastern Tibet (present-day Sichuan Province), highlights China’s escalating criminalization of even the most peaceful and culturally rooted forms of Tibetan expression.
A Song of Devotion, Met with Repression
On June 30, 2025, Tibetan singers A-sang (also known as Tsukte) and Pelkyong released a music video titled “Prince of Peace” on Chinese social media platforms. The song is a heartfelt tribute to the Dalai Lama, referencing his birthplace in Amdo and the profound spiritual guidance he offers to Tibetans and peace-loving people around the world.
Shortly after its release, the video was swiftly removed by censors, and A-sang’s social media account was shut down. Within days, Chinese authorities detained both singers. As of now—weeks after their arrest—their whereabouts remain unknown, and they are believed to be held in incommunicado detention, denied access to legal representation or contact with their families.
Peaceful Expression Framed as Subversion
The arrests have sparked outrage and deep concern among Tibetan rights organizations and exiled communities. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) condemned the detentions, stating that the singers were arrested “for simply expressing reverence and loyalty” to the Dalai Lama, a sentiment deeply shared by the Tibetan people.
TCHRD’s statement calls on Chinese authorities to immediately release A-sang and Pelkyong, or at minimum, to disclose their location and condition. “Singing a song in tribute to a revered religious figure is not a crime,” TCHRD emphasized. “It is a fundamental right to cultural and religious expression.”
The Tibet Post International also reported on the incident, noting that the arrests occurred in the first week of July and are emblematic of a broader pattern of targeting Tibetan artists, monks, and cultural figures whose work references the Dalai Lama or Tibetan identity.
Criminalizing Culture and Faith
The timing of the arrests—immediately after the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday according to the Tibetan lunar calendar—sends a chilling message: no form of public reverence for the exiled Tibetan leader is tolerated within occupied Tibet.
For decades, China has banned images of the Dalai Lama and has penalized even private devotion to him. These new arrests signal a further tightening of state control, where even a peaceful tribute in the form of a song can result in imprisonment.
This is not the first instance of artistic suppression. Previous years have seen Tibetan musicians, writers, and performers jailed for producing content deemed “politically sensitive”—a term broadly used to criminalize Tibetan cultural identity.
A Call for Justice and Solidarity
As global attention marks the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday through year-long celebrations in exile, the voices of those inside Tibet who dared to honor him are being silenced. The incommunicado detention of A-sang and Pelkyong is not just a violation of human rights—it is a moral indictment of a regime that treats cultural pride as a political crime.
International human rights groups, foreign governments, and global institutions must not remain silent. Peaceful expression through song must never be equated with sedition. The world must stand in solidarity with these singers, and with all Tibetans who risk their freedom simply to express their faith and cultural identity.
Postscript
As of this writing, there has been no official acknowledgment of the singers’ detention by Chinese authorities. Their continued silence only reinforces the urgent need for international pressure to ensure accountability, transparency, and the immediate release of A-sang and Pelkyong.
Photo credit: TCHRD
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