Anita Mui's ashes stolen from Hong Kong monastery columbarium, no arrests made

The ashes of late Hong Kong Cantopop singer Anita Mui have reportedly been stolen from a columbarium at Po Lin Monastery, with no arrests made nearly three months after the disappearance. Mui's family and her fan club issued a joint appeal for public information on Saturday, October 10 — the date that would have been her 63rd birthday. The case was first made public only this month, according to Hong Kong media outlet The Standard.

The theft was discovered on July 18, when a fan who had come to the monastery to pay respects noticed that the screws on the door of the compartment holding Mui's urn were loose and that the urn was gone. The fan alerted the singer's family and reported the matter to police. Sources cited by The Standard said no ransom demand has been made and that no other urns at the columbarium were reported missing.

During a livestream early on Sunday, Poon Siu-man, a close friend of Mui's mother, said the family and fan club had chosen to disclose the incident in order to draw greater media and public attention to the stalled investigation. The announcement followed the annual gathering of longtime fans to commemorate Mui's birthday. The family hopes public assistance can help identify those responsible and recover the urn.

Another fan club, Mui Nation, described the incident as “extremely absurd and contrary to ethics and morality,” The Standard reported. The club called for a thorough police investigation and urged the columbarium's management to review potential security lapses and account for any shortcomings.

Anita Mui was one of Hong Kong's most celebrated Cantopop performers, and her following has remained active long after her death. The lack of progress in the case has left the family and supporters pressing for answers, with police yet to announce any arrests or suspects.