Radio Free Asia

Incredibly busy week telling Radio Free Asia's story as we face our possible last chapter. CBS News's Margaret Brennan interviewed RFA President & CEO Bay Fang for the Evening News about what RFA's loss means for our audiences abroad and the U.S. Watch the segment here > > > https://lnkd.in/e_SCwWfB Grateful to producer extraordinaire Justine Redman Evans and my amazing RFA colleagues Camila Bailey and Julian Barajas for their help in making all of this possible. ?? : Gemunu Amarasinghe / Radio Free Asia

For decades, Radio Free Asia has been a critical source of uncensored news for North Koreans living under an authoritarian regime with extremely limited access to information. “RFA’s mission is to protect the North Korean people’s right to know and their right to freedom of speech,” said RFA Korean reporter Jamin Anderson, who has met and talked to many North Korean escapees. We want our audience to hear their stories. On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

Enjoyed being interviewed by Public Radio International (PRI) is now PRX about the value that Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty holds not only for our audience but the United States. Please give a listen and let me know what you think.

What would Chinese-language journalism look like in an open and free environment? WHYNOT, a news magazine affiliated with Radio Free Asia, has an answer. “Our uncensored reports not only inform our audience of events that are happening now, but also document our time so that history and the truth cannot be erased by the Chinese government,” a staff member of WHYNOT said. On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

RFA Mandarin journalist Kitty Wang said that the Chinese government’s suppression of information about the Tiananmen Square massacre shaped her as a journalist, forging her commitment to protecting and upholding freedom of information. “Without it [information], there can be no freedom of thought. Without it, people live in darkness. Through my work at RFA, I hope to bring them light,” Kitty said. On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

RFA journalist Eugene Whong has been the voice behind many video reports. In 2021, he gave voice to a video about Mya Thwe Thwe Khaing, the first peaceful protester killed by the Myanmar junta following the coup in 2021. "I realized that at that moment these were not just words that I was reading into a microphone," he said. "It's an actual account of events that happened to real people." On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

Persecution. Harassment. Loss of contact with family members. This RFA Tibetan journalist has risked it all to report accurate, independent news about the atrocities faced by Tibetans in Tibet. “My family members in Tibet were persecuted on account of my work. … They are still – to this day – being harassed by the Chinese government,” he said. How has RFA’s journalism impacted Tibetans? “From the widespread Tibet protests of 2008 to the wave of self-immolations and China’s systemic efforts to erase Tibetan identity, RFA has been instrumental in providing a rare window into Tibet,” he said. On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

From the The Wall Street Journal ed board today: "Radio Free Asia has an annual budget of $60.8 million and reaches some 58 million people a week. The cost is inconsequential compared to the value of news that challenges the narratives of autocratic regimes."

For RFA Laos journalist Ounkeo Souksavanh, leaving his home country wasn’t a choice — he was blacklisted by the communist government for his radio show. “In Laos, the truth is not often shared. Anyone who criticizes the government faces arrest.” Ounkeo joined RFA to bring independent, accurate news to the people in his home country. “RFA was a lifeline to keep telling the truth,” he said. Reporters at RFA are committed to the truth. They advance our congressionally-mandated mission to hold despots and dictators to account. On March 15, the federal grant agreement that makes it possible for RFA to operate in Asia and globally was abruptly canceled. We thank all of you for your support for RFA and its mission. #RFA

Great to talk with Foreign Policy about what the termination of Radio Free Asia's grant means. This is a big loss, not only for our organization, but of the full picture that RFA's incisive reporting provides the world, including U.S. policymakers and the national security community on closed countries, including China. Thanks, Maya Wang and Omer Kanat, for your support.