After hundreds of Radio Free Asia staff placed on leave, some fear deportation

[mahatmakanejeeves]

CBS EVENING NEWS
After hundreds of Radio Free Asia staff placed on leave, some fear deportation

By Margaret Brennan
March 21, 2025 / 8:20 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, Congress created the government-funded Radio Free Asia to broadcast facts into countries where governments are afraid of them.

"The U.S. saw China gunning down its own citizens and then also successfully covering it up afterwards," RFA President Bay Fang told CBS News. "The U.S. Congress created us with an eye to giving these people in China and other authoritarian countries around Asia the ability to have free press, to get access to the truth through an unbiased news service."

Fang put 75% of RFA staff on leave Friday, the result of funding cuts ordered by Kari Lake, senior adviser to the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent agency of RFA and Voice of America, the nation's largest international broadcaster.

Last weekend, all full-time employees and contractors with VOA were informed they were being placed on administrative leave, while Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were notified that federal grants for both broadcasters had been terminated.

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[underpants]

1. Jesus. How horrible

At least eight RFA journalists could be forced to leave the U.S. if they lose their work visas. Vietnamese journalist Khoa Lai is one of them and fears the possibility of being deported.

Five people who worked for RFA are already behind bars overseas. RFA funds their families and their legal defense.

"These are not U.S. citizens, but they are people who are in jail because they worked for a U.S.- funded network," Fang said.