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 flow of information both in and out.
According to the Freedom House report, even North Korea is more accessible to foreign journalists than Tibet, particularly the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region.
On March 15, federal grants supporting RFA were abruptly terminated, and Voice of America employees were placed on administrative leave after an executive order to gut the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees the two media outlets. This forced RFA to furlough over two-thirds of its Washington, D.C. staff and hundreds more freelancers and contributors.
For the six million Tibetans living under Chinese rule, the potential loss of RFA and VOA’s Tibetan language services is particularly devastating. Beijing’s systematic efforts to eliminate Tibetan language, culture, and religion have made these broadcasts the sole source of news in Tibetan, connecting an isolated population to the outside world and the exile diaspora.
Since 1996, Radio Free Asia has reported news from one of the world’s most restricted media environments, providing Tibetans with coverage of issues censored by Beijing, such as self-immolations, forced relocation, monastery destruction, and language suppression.
For nearly three decades, RFA has been a trusted source of vital inside information about Tibet.
In February 2024, RFA’s Tibetan service broke the news of China’s plans to build a hydropower dam in Dege, Kham, threatening to submerge monasteries and villages. This highlights RFA’s unique network of sources in a region Beijing has sought to isolate.
The threat of silencing RFA and VOA, including their Tibetan-language services, will undermine the long-term sustenance of the non-violent Tibetan struggle for freedom and dignity. Under President Xi Jinping, China has escalated efforts to Sinicize Tibet through cultural assimilation and surveillance. This includes the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism with "Chinese characteristics.”
Tuning into these broadcasts carries significant risks, including imprisonment for accessing these services. Yet, listeners persist, understanding the vital role these broadcasts play in their lives. At the very least, hearing even a few words of the Dalai Lama’s teachings provides a flicker of hope, even in their darkest hours of despair.
The US Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA) also addresses countering China’s disinformation campaign related to Tibet. It emphasises the importance of promoting independent Tibetan-language media as an alternative to Chinese-controlled narratives, ensuring accurate reporting about Tibet and the actions of the Chinese government.
At a time when Tibetans are facing a Chinese propaganda blitzkrieg aimed at distorting Tibet’s language, history, culture, and religion—particularly concerning the issue of the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation—any downscaling or, worse, closure of critical independent Tibetan news outlets like VOA and RFA would send a profoundly discouraging message to the Tibetan people, especially those living on the “occupied” side of the Himalayas.
Dhundup Gyalpo is the secretary of the Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in New Delhi.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
