OPINION: Why Radio Free Asia and Voice of America Tibetan service matter

1 year ago

In remote Tibet, people climb mountains or rooftops to tune into Tibetan-language broadcasts from Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA)— their only sources of accurate information about Tibet, the Tibetan people, and events both inside and outside the country. This daily ritual sustains the hope of many living under authoritarian regimes, desperate for uncensored news and information in their native tongues—languages like Tibetan, which are increasingly at risk of Sinicization and extinction.

However, the recent gutting of RFA and VOA operations could end this decades-long tradition for countries without a free press, effectively granting the Chinese Communist Party a carte blanche in controlling the f...

Original Article