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Chinese authorities have arrested a popular Tibetan social influencer and internet entrepreneur in Qinghai province, two people with knowledge of the situation said.
Authorities also issued an announcement inviting the public to provide “clues of illegal and criminal activities” carried out by the social commerce influencer, the sources in the region said.
Sonam Choedrub, who goes by the online name of Aga Gelektsang, was arrested at Xining Caojiapu International Airport in early December and is being held for interrogation by the Drakar county Public Security Bureau, the two sources, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, told Radio Free Asia.
“While Chinese authorities claim they arrested him for alleged theft, robbery and other criminal activities from several years ago, no specific details have been provided about alleged crimes committed by Choedrub,” the first source said.
Choedrub, who has a large follower base across several personal accounts on Chinese social media platforms, had become a well-known online influencer and philanthropist since 2022 after becoming wealthy from his social commerce live-streaming shopping experiences.
“He was well-known as one of the most popular and generous new-age entrepreneurs in Tibet,” said the second source.
Since 2022, Choedrub has donated hundreds of thousands of yuan to impoverished families in Tibet and to provide care for the elderly and children with physical and learning disabilities, he said.
In a “Notice of Clues,” issued by Drakar county Public Security Bureau officials on Dec. 13, authorities said they arrested at least four others with Choedrub. They included Tenpa, Thargyal and Tashi Loden from Drakar county and Kunsang Dorjee from Gonghe county. RFA could not immediately ascertain the identities or details of the other detained Tibetans.
“In order to thoroughly investigate the illegal and criminal facts of Sonam Choedrub and others and effectively protect the legitimate interests of the general public, we are now publicly soliciting clues of illegal and criminal activities from the society,” read the notice.
“Any witness who knows about the illegal and criminal acts of the above-mentioned suspects is requested to actively report to the public security organs and assist them in investigating the case,” it added.
Warnings have been circulating on Tibetan social media telling people to be careful as there are several cases of authorities arbitrarily arresting social media influencers and online entrepreneurs under the pretext of “cleaning up the internet environment,” sources told RFA.
“Major online influencers and entrepreneurs across Tibet are being arrested, mainly because they have gathered large followings and have gained popularity,” the second source said.
Videos circulating on Tibetan social media warn that the number of such cases will increase with harsher arrests and penalties, he said.
Additional reporting by Dickey Kundol and Tenzin Norzom. Translated by Dawa Dolma for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.