China Intensifies Crackdown on Uyghur Music in Xinjiang

A beloved folk ballad that has echoed through generations of Uyghur celebrations now carries a dangerous risk for those who share it. “Besh pede,” a soulful song in which a young man expresses his hopes and dreams to God, is among dozens of Uyghur-language songs deemed “problematic” by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang.

According to a recording of an official meeting held in Kashgar last October, obtained exclusively by The Associated Press through the Norway-based nonprofit Uyghur Hjelp, residents who listen to banned songs, store them on devices, or share them on social media could face prison sentences.

During the meeting, authorities also instructed attendees to avoid Islamic phrases like “As-salamu alaykum,” a common Muslim greeting, and to replace the farewell “Allahqa amanet” (May God keep you safe) with “May the Communist Party protect you.”

Former Xinjiang residents have corroborated these policies through interviews, revealing that family members, friends, and acquaintances have been detained simply for playing and sharing Uyghur music. Court documents obtained by AP show that last year, a Uyghur music producer was sentenced to three years in prison for uploading songs deemed sensitive to his cloud account.

Continued Repression Under a Veneer of Normalcy

This renewed crackdown on cultural expression in Xinjiang indicates a continuation of the Chinese government’s repressive policies that have defined the past decade. Between 2017 and 2019, human rights organizations and foreign governments estimate at least one million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities were detained in internment camps.

In 2022, the United Nations accused China of human rights violations in Xinjiang that might amount to crimes against humanity, including allegations of forced labor, forced sterilizations, and family separations as part of a broader campaign to assimilate the Uyghur population.

The Chinese government maintains that its policies in Xinjiang are aimed at combating terrorism and religious extremism. In response to AP’s reporting, China’s Foreign Ministry stated that the government “has cracked down on violent terrorist crimes and eradicated the breeding ground for religious extremism in accordance with the law,” adding that “anti-China forces” have “maliciously hyped up issues related to Xinjiang.”

While Beijing claimed in late 2019 that detention camps had been closed and life had returned to normal, the list of banned songs indicates that repression continues in less visible ways, according to Rian Thum, a senior lecturer in East Asian history at the University of Manchester.

“I’m not at all surprised to hear these accounts of people either being threatened with detention or being detained or imprisoned for listening to the wrong music,” Thum said. “It’s the kind of thing that hasn’t stopped.”

Seven Categories of “Problematic” Songs

During the Kashgar meeting, authorities played a prerecorded message warning residents against engaging with seven categories of so-called problematic songs, ranging from traditional folk ballads to newer compositions from the Uyghur diaspora.

“Besh pede” was flagged for religious content, though Rachel Harris, a professor of ethnomusicology at SOAS University of London who specializes in Uyghur culture, notes that the song’s religious references are merely romantic tropes with expressions like “Oh, God, I love you!”

Targeting religious expression has been central to China’s crackdown. Over the past decade, Xinjiang residents have been detained for praying, fasting, and possessing religious books, while mosques have been repurposed or stripped of their authentic roles.

“Music became part of my upbringing, and removing that is like removing the soul,” said Rahima Mahmut, a Uyghur singer and activist based in London who performs songs with religious connotations abroad.

Even songs once featured on Chinese state television have been prohibited. “As-salamu alaykum,” a pop song that begins with the Islamic greeting styled as a call to prayer, was performed on the state-run Xinjiang Television talent show “The Voice of the Silk Road” in 2016—the same year China intensified its campaign against Uyghurs. Today, the song is banned for allegedly “forcing people to believe in religion.”

Another category includes songs deemed to be “inciting terrorism, extremism and smearing the Chinese Communist Party’s rule of Xinjiang.” Among these is “Yanarim Yoq,” based on a poem by imprisoned Uyghur poet Abduqadir Jalalidin, and “Atilar” (Forefathers) by famed musician Abdurehim Heyit, who was also detained during China’s campaign.

Elise Anderson, a nonresident senior fellow at the New Lines Institute specializing in Uyghur issues, noted that many banned songs were written or performed by imprisoned Uyghur musicians, making them targets by association.

Real-World Consequences

For Uyghur music producer Yashar Xiaohelaiti, the consequences have been severe. The 27-year-old was detained in 2023 in Bole, Xinjiang, on charges of promoting extremism after writing and producing 42 “problematic” songs, which he uploaded to his account on a Chinese streaming service. He was sentenced to three years in prison and fined 3,000 yuan ($420).

Two Uyghurs interviewed by AP described personal encounters with the ban. One man, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, was called to a police station where his phone was searched after commenting on a social media post from a Uyghur living abroad. While there, he met others who had been summoned specifically for storing or sharing certain Uyghur songs.

A former official from Xinjiang told AP that a family friend received a sentence of more than ten years for playing traditional Uyghur instruments and singing Uyghur songs, with several family members and friends who watched the performance also receiving sentences.

In another incident, the official recounted how two teenagers were detained for sharing Uyghur songs on WeChat. “I remember it very clearly. At the time we were saying, ‘What song were they listening to?’ How could they be arrested for listening to a song?”

This ongoing cultural suppression represents a less visible but equally concerning continuation of China’s efforts to control and reshape Uyghur identity in Xinjiang, even as the region is marketed internationally as a tourist destination.