Kazakh singer from Xinjiang arrested

Otanbek Ensekhan, a Kazakh singer, was
arrested at his home in Urumqi, Xinjiang,
as part of a wider crackdown on ethnic
minorities in the region.
(Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Urumqi, Xinjiang – May 11, 2018) The officials in Xinjiang have continued the systematic persecution of ethnic minorities, including Kazakhs, with the arrest of famous Kazakh singer, Otanbek Ensekhan.

At the end of March, the singer was arrested at his house in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. According to local Kazakhs, the government arrested Ensekhan as soon as he finished his performance in Kazakhstan.

One Kazakh fan said, “[Ensekhan] enjoyed immense popularity in Xinjiang and Kazakhstan. Jiang Zemin [the former Chinese president] presented him and another two Kazakh dancers to the Kazakhstan president as a gift. He once worked in the ensemble of the presidential palace. He had a Kazakhstan green card, but he chose to keep his Chinese nationality. ”

Many fans were extremely worried after he was arrested in March as he was not heard from until Wednesday, May 9, when a video of him suddenly began circulating on WeChat. In the 34-second video, he announced that he is back in Urumqi and “doing well, despite all the rumors.”


However, a number of informed personnel claimed thatEnsekhan was released on the morning of May 10. He was still in prison when the video began to circulate in social media.

Local Kazakhs assume that the release of Ensekhan was a direct result of the report of foreign media. They believe the Chinese government feared the negative public opinion and released the singer as a contingency plan, only to be arrested again in the near future.

According to Kazakh internet users, the government of Xinjiang is carefully monitoring the use of internet, forcibly installing censorship applications and GPS on cell phones.The government also forbids Kazakhs to contact friends and families overseas. The internet users were surprised that Ensekhan’s video could still be viewed in foreign countries.

ChinaAid is dedicated to exposing human rights violations against Chinese minorities, such as the arrest of Otanbek Ensekhan, in order to promote religious freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.


ChinaAid Media Team
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Kazakh singer from Xinjiang arrested

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