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By Yeshi Dawa
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The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence.
VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan, the Dalai Lama once said that “Tibetans call VOA broadcasts their medicine for depression and exhaustion.” Similarly, on the 15th Anniversary of RFA, the Dalai Lama emphasized the importance of its broadcasts and lauded their contribution in working to “educate people who have no freedom of information.”
China’s iron grip over the flow of information is stronger than ever, as are its relentless efforts in disseminating misinformation. The state-run China Global Television Network has more than 125 million followers on Facebook, while the VOA and RFA have just 15.5 million combined. Despite Facebook’s ban in China, that stark disparity speaks volumes about China’s efforts to silence the truth and promote its propaganda.
However, the VOA and RFA have done good work in countering China’s misinformation. The news platforms have been protecting the image of the US and courageously revealing the harsh realities of authoritarian regimes.
“The protection of fundamental human rights was a foundation stone in the establishment of the United States over 200 years ago,” the US Department of State’s Web site says. The department’s annual report on human rights underlines the pivotal roles of VOA and RFA in particular for unearthing human rights violations in China.
From 2000 to 2023, RFA reports on human rights violations in China have been cited 41 times. The reports indirectly give the US leverage in championing human rights in the world.
However, the risks and the sacrifices RFA journalists undergo are truly unacceptable. A reporter at RFA Dharamshala had to cut off communication with his family in Tibet. The families of people who work at RFA have faced constant harassment and threats.
Despite all the sacrifices and the truths told to the world, the Global Times — a mouthpiece of China — lauded the Trump administration’s decision to gut the news operations and denounced the VOA as “discarded by its own government like a dirty rag.”
The VOA and RFA became strong countermeasures to China’s lies — for which Chinese authorities have been trying to intimidate the families of reporters who expose the truth. American political scientist John Arquilla said that “in today’s global information age, victory may sometimes depend not on whose army wins, but on whose story wins.”
Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo captured this urgency in a 2011 address at VOA headquarters. “The world needs VOA’s clarion call for freedom, now more than ever. I hear it wherever I go,” he said.
Likewise, on RFA’s 25th anniversary, US senators Chris Coons and Rob Portman passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing its vital contributions. “For the past 25 years, Radio Free Asia has delivered balanced and objective reporting to countries where freedom of the press is only an idea,” Portman said.
In the battle of narratives, the VOA and RFA are the US’ frontline tools in countering China’s propaganda.
Yeshi Dawa is a former bureau chief at Radio Free Asia Dharamshala and a former academic administrator at the Institute of Leadership and Governance at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.
