Engnews

engnews@rfanews.org

440 discussions

by RFA communications

Contact: Rohit Mahajan | mahajanr(a)rfa.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 07/21/22 RFA Welcomes New Members to its Board <https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/rfa-welcomes-new-members-to-its-board> Shanthi Kalathil and Allison Hooker Join RFA’s Governing Body WASHINGTON -- Radio Free Asia <https://www.rfa.org/english/> (RFA), a private nonprofit corporation, today announced the additions of Shanthi Kalathil and Allison Hooker to its Board of Directors. Kalathil, who recently served on the National Security Council (NSC) as Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Democracy and Human Rights, and Hooker, who currently serves as senior vice president at American Global Strategies (AGS), were approved at the July board meeting. “We’re thrilled to expand RFA’s board with both Shanthi and Allison, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise,” said RFA President Bay Fang. “With Shanthi’s profound work on China and the information space, and Allison’s extensive background in North Korea and Asia foreign policy, RFA will benefit enormously. I’m delighted to work with them during this exciting time of growth for RFA.” “I have a deep admiration for RFA’s incisive brand of journalism and am honored to join its board,” Kalathil said. “RFA has filled a critical role in combating Chinese disinformation and providing timely news to millions in Asia who would otherwise be in the dark. I look forward to helping RFA achieve and accomplish more.” “It’s an immense privilege to join RFA’s board of directors,” Hooker said. “As malign actors in Asia relentlessly subvert democracy and human rights, RFA plays a leading role in pushing back on authoritarian propaganda. I am excited to help this organization tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead.” Prior to her appointment at the NSC, Kalathil served as the senior director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies at the National Endowment for Democracy. She also held various positions at other international affairs organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Early in her career she worked as a reporter at the Asian Wall Street Journal before transitioning to policy and academia. Before her time at AGS, Hooker held senior positions within the White House, serving as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Asian Affairs at the NSC and as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Korean Peninsula. Previously, she was a senior analyst for North Korea in the Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research and worked as the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow in South Korea. The two new board members join Chair Carolyn Bartholomew, Commissioner of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission; Michael J. Green, CEO of the United States Studies Centre (USSC); Michael Kempner, Founder, President and CEO of public relations firm MikeWorldWide (MWW); and Keith Richburg, Director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 5 months

RFA Breaking News: 'I had to cut off the head, bro': Myanmar troops swap slaughter stories

by Paul Eckert

‘I had to cut off the head, bro’: Myanmar soldiers swap slaughter stories By Khin Maung Soe and Nayrein Kyaw for RFA Burmese June 17, 2022 - Two armed men stand behind a tangle of bodies leaking blood which congeals in the dust. Each of the five victims is blindfolded, hands tied behind their back, and appear to have been killed by gunfire or a blade to the throat. The armed men – one with his rifle slung over his shoulder and the other smoking a cigarette – strike a nonchalant pose that is recorded for posterity in a series of grisly photos captured on a soldier’s phone. These graphic images are among a cache of files recently obtained by RFA Burmese that document atrocities apparently committed by soldiers during military operations in Myanmar’s war-torn Sagaing region. The files include a video in which those two same armed men joke about how many people they have killed, and how they have killed them. The contents were retrieved from a cell phone that was found by a villager in Sagaing’s Ayadaw township where the military had been conducting raids amid an offensive against the anti-junta People’s Defense Force (PDF) paramilitary group. An intermediary who obtained the video and photos forwarded them to RFA in Washington. Among the many images is one of about 30 men with their hands tied behind their backs on the grounds of a monastery. Two of what appear to be the same men are seen dead in the photos taken a day later of the five victims of execution. Another series of photos shows a young man with his arms bound behind him, his face puffy and bloodied. An outstretched hand holds his chin up, forcing him to look into the camera, while a second hand holds a knife to his chest over his heart. The images also include many ‘selfie’ photos of a soldier, seemingly the phone’s owner. He also features in the video and the photos of the dead bodies. The 10-and-a-half-minute video shows him and two other men mugging for the camera and chatting in crude terms about the number of people they have killed and what they did with the bodies. The phone’s owner, who wears a wide smile and sometimes slurs his words, has a hand grenade pinned to his chest. More armed men can be seen in the background. “You said you killed 26 people. How did you kill them? Just shooting them with a gun?” asks the phone’s owner of one of his fellow soldiers. “Of course, we killed them with our guns. But not with our hands,” the soldier responds. “For us, we even killed a lot by slitting their throats. I, myself, killed five,” the phone’s owner says. “I have never [slit throats],” the third soldier chimes in. The second soldier then reconsiders his personal tally of death. “I think eight,” he says. “I killed eight [by slitting throats].” Clues in the images A closer look at the photos provides proof that these men serve in Myanmar’s military. Soldiers in the photos sport the arm badge of the Myanmar Army and, in at least one photo, the Northwest Military Command based in Sagaing. Soldiers are seen with bamboo baskets normally used as backpacks by junta soldiers. Numbers on rifle butts in the photos even help identify one military unit. RFA asked Capt. Lin Htet Aung, a defector from the military who has joined the anti-junta Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), about the evidence. He said the numbers “708” and “4” seen on the guns indicate they are from the 4th Company of the Light Infantry Battalion 708 (708 LIB). The battalion belongs to the Yangon-based Military Operations Command No. 4 (MOC-4) which has been deployed to Sagaing and Magway regions and may be involved in joint operations there, he said. When contacted about the material recovered from the cell phone, junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun told RFA that authorities had opened a probe into the matter. “Regarding these incidents, we can respond only after investigation in the field,” he said. “We are now investigating it.” Full story at [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/special/myanmar-soldier-atrocities/index.h… | https://www.rfa.org/english/news/special/myanmar-soldier-atrocities/index.h… ] # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 6 months

RFA Expands Editorial Capacity and Reach with New Roles, Divisions

by RFA Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : June 16, 2022 Contact: Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | [ mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org | mahajanr(a)rfa.org ] [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/rfa-expands-editorial-capacity-and-reach… | RFA Expands Editorial Capacity and Reach with New Roles, Divisions ] Veteran journalist Matthew Pennington named Senior Managing Editor, as investigative and fact-check units added WASHINGTON – [ https://www.rfa.org/english/ | Radio Free Asia ] (RFA) today announced changes to its editorial team, and the department as a whole, as part of a broader strategic expansion that includes the creation of new journalistic investigative and fact-check units. With the changes, veteran journalist Matthew Pennington, formerly RFA’s Managing Editor of Southeast Asia, will serve as Senior Managing Editor, a newly created role. Pennington will lead daily newsroom operations, reporting to Executive Editor Min Mitchell. He also will directly oversee RFA’s digital affiliate [ https://www.benarnews.org/english | BenarNews ] , as well as the investigative unit, which will work with RFA’s language services to produce in-depth, long-form reports. These initiatives are part of a wider set of shifts to realize RFA’s strategic vision to sharpen its editorial capacity covering China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia and other places in Asia with restricted media environments that are inundated with authoritarian disinformation. “We are thrilled to take these key steps that will strengthen RFA’s incisive brand of journalism,” Mitchell said. “In leading many of these efforts, Matthew brings more than 20 years of invaluable newsroom experience and a deep Asia expertise. Those qualities and his incredible track record at RFA make him the right person to help us accomplish even more than we have to date.” “It’s a tremendous privilege to step into this exciting role, which offers a unique opportunity to take RFA’s reporting to a new level,” Pennington said. “I look forward to helping RFA meet this crucial moment in history and be best equipped for the challenges ahead.” Additionally, Paul Eckert, who served as Director of English News, will now be the English Editor-at-Large where he will oversee RFA’s English commentary section. Nadia Tsao, Managing Editor of East Asia, will lead the fact checking unit, which will map Chinese media influence worldwide and counter falsehoods in real time. With its expansion underway, RFA is in the process of recruiting for new positions within its language services and global Mandarin brand [ https://www.wainao.me/ | 歪脑 | WHYNOT ] , and to enhance its digital storytelling presentation, as well as filling Pennington’s and Eckert’s previous roles. Matthew Pennington joined RFA in December 2018, after a 19-year career with The Associated Press as a reporter and editor. He began his career in Southeast Asia as a U.N. volunteer in Laos, raising awareness about the problem of unexploded ordnance left over from the Vietnam War. He worked as a correspondent for Agence France-Presse and then the AP, covering Thailand, Burma, Laos and Cambodia, and spent five years based in Islamabad, where he became AP bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was born and educated in England and holds a BA in Ancient History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Political Philosophy from the University of York. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 7 months

Four wins for RFA digital brand 歪脑 | WHYNOT at Telly Awards

by RFA Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : May 24, 2022 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org [ https://www.rfa.org/about/awards/four-wins-for-rfa-digital-brand-waynot-at-… | Four wins for RFA digital brand 歪脑 | WHYNOT at Telly Awards ] WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) online affiliate [ https://www.wainao.me/ | 歪脑 | WHYNOT ] won four prizes at the 43rd annual [ https://www.tellyawards.com/ | Telly Awards ] – earning one silver award for its special report “ [ https://www.wainao.me/wainao-reads/preserving-erased-decade-chinese-feminis… | Preserving the Erased Decade of the Chinese Feminist Movement ] ” and three for its docu-series “ [ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMad6trRX62yrRaLdcVIw2R1Amsg7jWeR | Caught in the Crossfire ] .” The two entries won across four of the Telly Awards’ [ https://www.tellyawards.com/?s=WHYNOT | categories ] , which judge the best work created within television and video, including Online Documentary and Non-scripted Web Series. “All the credit for this great achievement goes to the 歪脑 | WHYNOT team, whose superb reporting continues to earn well-deserved recognition,” RFA President Bay Fang said. “True to RFA’s core mission, 歪脑 | WHYNOT’s unique brand of story-telling provides young Mandarin-speakers around the world answers and accountability. These awards are a testament to its continued excellent work.” “We want to thank the Telly Awards for this incredible honor,” said Alex Zhang, Director of 歪脑 | WHYNOT. “In the two years since 歪脑 | WHYNOT launched, it’s very encouraging to continue to be recognized for our work to bring a fresh, often-missing journalistic perspective to our global audience.” “Caught in the Crossfire” is a three-episode project that investigates the ordinary people impacted by the U.S.-China big-power rivalry, from scientists who were wrongly accused of being spies, to journalists caught up in the U.S.-China media war, and to activists fighting hog waste pollution in North Carolina at a Chinese-owned meat processing plant. “Preserving the Erased Decade of the Chinese Feminist Movement,” which [ https://www.rfa.org/about/awards/6b6a8111-whynot-an-rfa-affiliate-wins-onli… | won ] an Online News Association (ONA) award last year, examines the “lost” decade of the modern Chinese feminist movement. These awards mark the second instance 歪脑 | WHYNOT has won this year, having [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/whynot-wins-at-43rd-society-of-news-desi… | earned ] an Award of Excellence for “Preserving the Erased Decade of the Chinese Feminist Movement” at the 2022 Society of News Design competion. Since launching in the fall of 2020, the digital brand has won three major [ https://www.rfa.org/about/awards | awards ] , while also earning a finalist status at this year’s New York Festivals Radio Awards and being named an honoree at the most recent Webby Awards. Other winners at the international contest, which received 11,000 entries from all over the world, include NBC, Al Jazeera, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and PBS Newshour. Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards annual competition showcases the best work in video and television across all screens. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 7 months

RFA Names Kataryna DeLisle its New General Counsel

by RFA Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : May 23, 2022 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/rfa-names-kataryna-delisle-its-new-gener… | RFA Names Kataryna DeLisle its New General Counsel ] WASHINGTON - [ https://www.rfa.org/english | Radio Free Asia ] (RFA), a nonprofit news corporation that brings accurate and timely journalism to populations in Asian countries under authoritarian rule, today named Kataryna DeLisle as its new General Counsel. DeLisle brings 17 years of legal professional experience working across the nonprofit, private, and public sectors, having previously served in senior roles at RFA’s parent federal agency and sister networks. Additionally, her background includes earning her undergraduate degree in journalism and starting her post-college career as a video journalist with CNN. At RFA, DeLisle will manage overall legal affairs relating to the company’s governance, employment, global operations, and contracts, in addition to serving as Secretary to RFA’s Board of Directors. “We are delighted to welcome Kataryna to Radio Free Asia. Our organization will greatly benefit from her unique professional background – a rare combination of extensive legal expertise and journalistic knowledge,” RFA President Bay Fang said. “She joins RFA at a critical time in our growth and is an exceptional addition to our leadership team.” “RFA plays a pivotal role in informing publics with little or no access to accurate news and information,” DeLisle said. “I’m thrilled to begin a new chapter in my career that returns me to my roots in leading the legal operations of a journalistic operation on which so many rely.” Prior to joining RFA, DeLisle worked for 7 years at National Geographic Partners and National Geographic Society, where she worked in a number of positions including Assistant Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Compliance Officer, Senior Vice President and Associate General Counsel. From 2008-2015 DeLisle served as the Assistant General Counsel for the BBG, the independent federal agency later renamed as the United States Agency for Global Media ( [ https://www.usagm.gov/ | USAGM ] ), where she was the lead counsel for [ https://www.voanews.com/ | Voice of America ] (VOA) and [ https://www.radiotelevisionmarti.com/ | Radio and TV Martí ] (OCB). She began her professional career as a video journalist at CNN. DeLisle earned her Juris Doctor at American University, Washington College of Law and her Bachelor of Science in Journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 7 months

RFA President Affirms Urgency of Global Press Freedom amid Rising Authoritarianism: ‘Choice Couldn’t Be Clearer’

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : May 3, 2022 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/rfa-president-affirms-urgency-of-global-… | RFA President Affirms Urgency of Global Press Freedom amid Rising Authoritarianism: ‘Choice Couldn’t Be Clearer’ ] WASHINGTON - Marking World Press Freedom Day amid rising authoritarianism and escalating dangers facing journalists, Radio Free Asia (RFA) President Bay Fang pledged RFA’s steadfast commitment to informing publics in Asia deprived of a free press and free expression. “On World Press Freedom Day, the choice couldn’t be clearer: Whether we allow authoritarians to define this era, letting them have the last word, or whether we challenge their false narratives and propaganda in pursuit of the truth,” Fang said. “ As we witness the collapse of independent media in Burma and Hong Kong, in addition to its deterioration throughout Asia, we at RFA recognize the urgency of our mission-driven responsibility to those seeking answers, accountability, and empowerment. “This crucial moment in history demands nothing less of us than doing everything in our power to advance the cause of press freedom in the face of ever-growing threats.” In RFA’s media region, where press freedom groups have monitored continuous decline over the last decade, reliably semi-open markets in [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/special/myanmar-unrest/ | Burma ] and [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/jimmy-lai-04122022110537.html | Hong Kong ] dramatically transformed overnight into closed environments within the past year. Nevertheless, audiences – estimated to be nearly 60 million on a weekly basis – turn to RFA as a trusted source of accurate on-the-ground news and information. This is evidenced in soaring engagement across its platforms, including on its Burmese and Cantonese social media channels – which recently have seen quadruple- and triple-digit percentage growth. RFA has also made significant impacts monitoring the on-the-ground fallout of China’s “zero-Covid” policy in [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/extension-04122022140143.html | Shanghai ] and [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/deleted-04252022141933.html | Beijing ] , exposing [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/taiwan-disinformation-04012022153858… | China’s role in spreading Russian disinformation ] on Ukraine in Taiwan, providing continuous coverage and analysis of the [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/tribunal-ruling-12092021063715.html | Uyghur tribunal ] in 2021, reporting on South China Sea territorial [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/special/dangerous-dance/ | disputes ] , and alerting the world to North Korea’s enforced ban on outside media, including breaking the news about severe punishments for individuals caught sharing video files of the viral South Korean series, ‘ [ https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/squidgame-11232021180155.html | Squid Game ] .’ In addition, to aid its journalistic efforts to push back on authoritarian propaganda, RFA will utilize a late-year budget increase to expand its programming and content in China, Southeast Asia, and globally. Plans include launching an investigative unit to expose malfeasance and ensure accountability; creating a fact-checking unit to counter falsehoods in real time, initially focusing on Chinese social media; and expanding RFA's China services, particularly RFA Uyghur and Cantonese. RFA also plans to grow its [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/6b6a8111-whynot-an-rfa-affiliate-wins-on… | award-winning ] global Mandarin digital brand, [ https://www.wainao.me/ | 歪脑 | WHYNOT ] ; increase capacity to cover Chinese activities in Southeast Asia; provide more up-to-the-minute English content; and expand RFA’s Creative Team for multimedia storytelling. These enhancements also include upgrading critical digital infrastructure and technology to support newsroom operations. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media. Rohit Mahajan Chief Communications Officer Radio Free Asia

2 years, 8 months

Radio Free Asia Wins Gracie for Korean Defector Project

by RFA Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : April 13, 2022 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org Radio Free Asia Wins Gracie for Korean Defector Project WASHINGTON - [ https://www.rfa.org/english/ | Radio Free Asia ] (RFA)’s Korean Service was today named among the winners at this year’s [ https://allwomeninmedia.org/gracies/ | Gracie Awards ] for its report [ https://www.rfa.org/korean/in_focus/news_indepth/defectorwomensp-1209202115… | Rerouting: defying the given path, paving a new one - North Korean female defectors' journey ] . The project, which follows two female North Korean refugees and documents their perspectives on leaving their homeland’s heavily male-dominated society, won in the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation-sponsored contest’s category for Foreign Language Individual Achievement. “RFA’s Korean Service has the crucial and challenging job of reporting news out of North Korea on a daily basis, while keeping informed a population especially vulnerable to disinformation,” RFA President Bay Fang said. “A compelling story through the years has been that of the defectors – who face incredible odds in their quest to realize the dream of freedom.” “RFA’s winning piece is another episode in that saga, documenting the journey of two brave women yearning for a better life in neighboring South Korea.” The winning report, which premiered in December 2021, follows the journey of two North Korean women refugees who fled their repressive homeland to start new lives in South Korea. The report contains testimonies from various age groups of North Korean defectors from their 20s to 50s. It also includes a testimony of a foreigner who lived in Pyongyang for two years as a diplomat's wife. These accounts underscore North Korean women’s lack of human rights and provide insight into a possible feminist movement percolating within the country. Other winners at this year’s competition include The Washington Post , NPR, CBS News, and VICE Media. They will be honored at the 47th Annual Gracie Awards Gala in Los Angeles on May 24. Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) is a non-profit that creates educational programs and scholarship initiatives to benefit the public and women in the media. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

2 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: Tibetan monks beaten, arrested for sharing Buddha statue destruction news

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan monks beaten, arrested for sharing Buddha statue destruction news Jan. 7, 2021 - Authorities in western China’s Sichuan province are beating and arresting Tibetan monks suspected of informing outside contacts about the destruction of a sacred statue, Tibetan sources say. The 99-foot tall Buddha which stood in Drago (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Region was targeted for demolition in December by officials who said the statue had been built too high. Monks from a local monastery and other Tibetan residents were forced to witness the destruction, an action experts called part of an ongoing campaign to eradicate Tibet’s distinct national culture and religion. Eleven monks from Drago’s Gaden Namgyal Ling monastery have now been arrested by Chinese authorities on suspicion of sending news and photos of the statue’s destruction — reported exclusively this week by RFA — to contacts outside the region, a Tibetan source in exile said on Friday. “As of now, we have learned that Lhamo Yangkyi, Tsering Samdrup and four other Tibetans have been arrested for communicating outside Tibet,” the source said, citing contacts in Drago and speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons. “And a few days before the demolition of the statue began, Abbot Pelga, his assistant Nyima, and the monks Tashi Dorje and Nyima from the monastery in Drago were taken into custody, with Chinese authorities saying they needed to be taught a lesson.” “The monks were brutally beaten and not given any food in prison, and one was beaten so brutally that one of his eyes is badly injured,” he said. “And citing what they call the indifferent attitude shown by local Tibetans, the Chinese authorities are forcing some of them to stand outside with no clothes in the freezing cold.” Also speaking to RFA, a second source in exile said that new restrictions have now been imposed on Tibetans following the statue’s demolition, which was confirmed by RFA in Washington, D.C., using commercial satellite imagery. “Local Tibetans are not being allowed to hang prayer flags outside their doors. And their fireplaces, which are sometimes used for purification rituals, are being destroyed,” the second source said, also speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his sources. “The Chinese police are now beating Tibetans on unreasonable excuses such as not having ‘a proper expression’ on their face. Some Tibetans have fainted, and others are being made to stand outside in the cold weather and are then released without explanation,” he said. The U.S. State Department in a statement voiced “deep concern” at reports of the statue’s destruction. “[We] continue to urge PRC authorities to respect the human rights of Tibetans and the preservation of Tibet’s environment as well as the unique cultural, linguistic, and religious identity of Tibetan traditions,” the State Department said. “We will work with our partners and allies to press Beijing to cease ongoing abuses against Tibetans and return to direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his Tibetan representatives, without preconditions, to resolve differences.” Sophie Richardson, China director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, added that China’s demolition of the statue and crackdown on Tibetans sharing news of its destruction show that “religious believers cannot rely on legal or constitutional safeguards of their faith.” China in its current phase of “ultranationalist and statist ideology gives all power to the state, and regards civil society with suspicion and contempt,” Richardson said. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/news-01072022144013.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have accesfull and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the U.S. Agency for Global Media ( [ https://www.usagm.gov/home/ | USAGM ] ) . If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to [ mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org | engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org ] . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to [ mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org | engnews-join(a)rfanews.org ] .

3 years

Radio Free Asia Wins Journalism Award in Taiwan

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : November 24, 2021 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org [ https://www.rfa.org/about/awards/rfa-mandarin-wins-journalism-award-in-taiw… | RFA Mandarin Wins Journalism Award in Taiwan ] WASHINGTON -- [ https://www.rfa.org/english/ | Radio Free Asia ] (RFA)’s Mandarin Service was named the winner of the arts and cultural news award for its [ https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/duomeiti/tebiejiemu/hkwenhua/ | video series ] on Hong Kong's resistance art community, which is using their pens, brushes and creativity to advocate for Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedom. The award was presented by the [ https://www.feja.org.tw/category/media-award/award1 | Excellent Journalism Award Foundation ] at its 20th annual ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan yesterday. “Full credit for this award belongs to the team of reporters in RFA Mandarin behind this series,” Nadia Tsao, RFA’s Managing Editor for East Asia, said. “As authorities in Hong Kong intensify their crackdown on independent media and voices, it is ever more important to showcase free expression’s unique power and role. This timely project on the expatriate resistance art movement in Taiwan does just that.” The winning submission, which included three videos that were part of an RFA Mandarin series published throughout 2020 on Hong Kong’s resistance art movement, profiles an actor, the writers of a banned book and a [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_63llpKQX9Y | group of political cartoonists ] who are using their art to fight for Hong Kong’s freedom after a 2019 national security law imposed by the CCP cracked down on free speech. Fearing the CCP would wipe out Hong Kong’s history of freedom, the Hong Kong arts community at home and abroad in Taiwan are fighting back, hoping to change the narrative as they remember. This is RFA Mandarin’s first Excellent Journalism award, with its video series being selected unanimously as the winner among more than 105 other submissions in the arts and cultural news category, a testament to the essential role RFA plays providing unique journalism to audiences around Asia living in closed societies. Other winners at this year’s Excellent Journalism Awards include Apple Daily, United Daily, Taiwan’s Public Television Service, The Reporter, Central News Agency and Commonwealth Magazine. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media. Rohit Mahajan Chief Communications Officer Radio Free Asia

3 years, 1 month

歪脑 | WHYNOT -- an RFA affiliate -- wins Online News Association Award

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Oct. 18, 2021 Contact : Rohit Mahajan | 202.530.4976 | mahajanr(a)rfa.org [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/6b6a8111-whynot-an-rfa-affiliate-wins-on… | 歪脑 | WHYNOT ] [ https://www.rfa.org/about/releases/6b6a8111-whynot-an-rfa-affiliate-wins-on… | -- an RFA affiliate -- wins Online News Association Award ] WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia (RFA) online affiliate [ https://www.wainao.me/ | 歪脑 | WHYNOT ] was named a winner by the [ https://journalists.org/ | Online News Association ] (ONA) for its impactful feature on the “lost” decade of the modern Chinese feminist movement, starting with the 2015 arrest of the group of five women who protested sexual harassment on public transportation. 歪脑 | WHYNOT’s [ https://www.wainao.me/wainao-reads/preserving-erased-decade-chinese-feminis… | Preserving the Erased Decade of the Chinese Feminist Movement ] , showcasing the unheard voices and telling their stories, won a 2021 Online Journalism Award in the feature category for a small newsroom. “I am so proud of the 歪脑 | WHYNOT team for winning yet another award this year for its groundbreaking coverage that offers young Mandarin-speakers a new perspective on the world around them,” RFA President Bay Fang said. “This recognition also reflects the central mission driving RFA for 25 years, which is to document and to empower through uncensored, independent journalism.” “Since launching last year, the 歪脑 | WHYNOT team continues to develop projects that fight misinformation and misperception in the Chinese-language world,” said Alex Zhang, Director of 歪脑 | WHYNOT. “For this feature, the overwhelming audience response included people saying how they felt like memories lost a decade ago were suddenly returned to them. For us, that kind of impact is its own reward. But this award, for which we thank the ONA, also encourages us.” 歪脑 | WHYNOT's feature, which premiered in March 2021, unites the forgotten stories of Chinese activists from around the world, constructing a vital historical narrative to empower future agents of change as China’s authoritarian regime has tightened its grip on every aspect of society and silenced the most active and outspoken voices. For the first time, 歪脑 | WHYNOT connected Chinese feminists, women, and others around the world, weaving the broken threads of the movement together despite censorship and years of separation. This involved hosting online interactive events with several members of the Feminist Five, including a Clubhouse chatroom in which almost 300 people -- including mainland Chinese citizens -- asked questions and discussed the movement in a rare opportunity for open dialogue about the movement and its legacy. This is 歪脑 | WHYNOT's second major award this year, having earned a Hong Kong Human Rights Award in May for its essay [ https://stories.wainao.me/---the-truth-isn-t-dead---you-just-don-t-believe-… | The Truth Isn’t Dead, You Just Don’t Believe It Anymore ] - a testament to 歪脑 | WHYNOT continuing to fill a vital role providing incisive journalism to audiences living under authoritarian regimes. Other [ https://awards.journalists.org/winners/2021/?utm_source=Online+News+Associa… | winners ] at this year’s competition include ProPublica, Grist, The New York Times , VICE Media, and The Wall Street Journal . # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the United States Agency for Global Media.

3 years, 2 months

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Engnews