Ablajan Awut Ayup

Ablajan Awut Ayup is a singer, songwriter and dancer who wrote over 400 songs and was known for promoting Uyghur culture and identity as well as singing bilingual songs, in both Chinese and Uyghur. In 2017, BBC portrayed him as a model of integration for his appeal to both Han and Uyghur audiences.
Ablajan made his debut with his song "Meshrep Nawasi" in January 2010 in the "Meshrep Concert". "Meshrep Nawasi" was republished in the English and Chinese languages. Later, "Meshrep Nawasi" became one of Ablajan's iconic songs. He published his first album "Bashlamduq " on July 10, 2011. His first album sold over 100,000 copies, no small achievement in a limited market. Local businesses vied to endorse Ablajan and his face graced billboards in Xinjiang's capital, Ürümqi.
In 2018, Radio Free Asia reported that Ayup had been detained by police in Guma (Pishan) County. His brother reported that Ayup had been sent to one of the Xinjiang internment camps.

Honors and awards

His single "Vacation" was awarded second prize in "Xinjiang New Music Competition".

Disappearance

In 2018, Ablajan disappeared in February 2018 after being detained by the Guma police, and had vanished since. His disappearance was believed to be linked with the fact he promoted the Uyghur identity and Uyghur culture, as well as wider Turkic culture as a whole. Ayup's brother reported that Ayup had been detained in a Xinjiang internment camp.