The family's anguish follows a viral social media post by film director and producer Van Tuyen on 18/10. He shared a video suggesting police had identified a cleaner as a suspect in the theft at Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong, claiming authorities held evidence that the individual was currently in Southeast Asia.
However, on 19/10, Van Tuyen clarified that the video's content was AI-generated and unverified, leading to the spread of inaccurate information. He apologized to the public and promptly withdrew the post, which had quickly become a trending topic on Weibo.
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Singer, actress Anita Mui. Photo: St Headline
A family member of Anita Mui told LTN that the investigation into the missing ashes has seen "no progress" and that "fake news spreads too quickly". Mai Khoi Minh, the singer's brother, expressed the family's profound sorrow and distress over the situation. He announced a reward of 50,000 HKD (approximately 6,390 USD) for effective information that aids in the search for the ashes.
According to Ifeng, the theft was first discovered in July by a fan club of Anita Mui. The fans immediately reported the incident to the management of Po Lin Monastery on Tai O Mountain and local authorities. The fan group has since called upon anyone with information to cooperate with the police to help resolve the case.
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Mai Khoi Minh cries discussing the theft. Photo: HK01
St Headline reported that the entrance and interior of the ash pagoda at Po Lin Monastery are equipped with surveillance cameras. Intriguingly, Anita Mui's niche did not have her real name printed on the exterior. A monk from the monastery stated that, from the outside, the niche appeared normal with no unusual signs. It was only when fans visited the famous singer in July and opened the niche that they discovered it was empty. Monastery management and police have confirmed that no other niches in the pagoda were disturbed or stolen from.
Born in 1963, Anita Mui achieved significant success throughout her career, earning her the affectionate moniker "Daughter of Hong Kong" from her fans. In cinema, she left an indelible mark with roles in films such as "Eighteen Springs", "Rumble in the Bronx", "Drunken Master II", "Fight Back to School III", "Mad Monk", "Justice, My Foot!", "A Better Tomorrow III", and "Rouge". She received the Best Actress award at both the Golden Horse Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards, the two most prestigious accolades in the Chinese-language film industry. Nearly two decades after her passing in 2003 from cancer, Anita Mui remains fondly remembered by colleagues and audiences for her classic works.
