RTI, 07/01/2026
Chinese authorities in Xinjiang are warning residents that listening to the wrong music could land them in detention — or worse.
An Associated Press investigation has found that officials in the region are targeting Uyghur-language songs, from traditional folk ballads to rap and newer music produced overseas.
The policy was revealed through a leaked audio recording of a public meeting held in October 2024 in Kashgar. The recording was obtained exclusively by the AP from the Norway-based nonprofit Uyghur Hjelp.
In the meeting, police and local officials warned residents that downloading, sharing, or even storing certain Uyghur songs on their phones could lead to punishment.
Songs authorities deemed problematic include those that hold religious connotations, “distort Uyghur history,” incite separatism, and promote discontent with the government. Experts pointed out that in practice, almost any Uyghur song could become a target.
They played a prerecorded message listing banned music and said violations would be “severely punished,” without specifying how.
Former Xinjiang residents interviewed by the AP say the warnings are real. They told AP that friends and family members were detained for playing or sharing Uyghur music. Some said police searched their phones during questioning to look for banned songs.
Court documents reviewed by AP show at least one severe case. Uyghur music producer Yashar Xiaohelaiti was sentenced last year to three years in prison after authorities accused him of uploading dozens of “sensitive” songs to his personal cloud account.
The renewed crackdown comes years after China said it had shut down mass detention camps in Xinjiang. Rights groups estimate that at least one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities were detained between 2017 and 2019.
In 2022, the United Nations said China’s actions in Xinjiang may amount to crimes against humanity. China says its policies are aimed at fighting terrorism and extremism, and that ethnic minorities enjoy cultural freedom.
Experts say banning music shows repression has not ended — it has simply become quieter, and more normalized.
