Radio Free Asia (RFA) has terminated its Lao language service after 27 years of operation, initiating a cascade of shutdowns that will eliminate half of the organization’s language services by the end of May.
The closure of the Lao service, which has immediately ceased all operations, precedes mass layoffs that will affect approximately 90 percent of RFA’s United States-based workforce, according to an announcement released by RFA on 2 May.
After nearly three decades, the RFA Lao service has ceased all operations. It provided critical reporting on governance issues, human rights concerns, and environmental problems.
RFA President Bay Fang expressed profound regret regarding the closure, noting that after 27 years of service, RFA’s Lao Service would no longer be able to produce news content. Fang acknowledged the support of listeners and pledged to make every effort to eventually restore the service.
The Lao service is not alone in its fate. RFA’s Tibetan, Burmese, and Uyghur services, the latter being the world’s only independent Uyghur-language news outlet, are also slated for closure.
Fang described the situation as “unconscionable”, explaining that RFA could no longer depend on the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to distribute congressionally allocated funds as intended. As a consequence, RFA has been forced to implement mass layoffs and discontinue multiple language services.
Fang stated that RFA’s primary focus remains preserving the organization and its congressionally mandated mission, while simultaneously protecting its most vulnerable journalists.
The funding crisis began on 15 March when the USAGM terminated its grant agreement with RFA, forcing the organization to place three-quarters of its United States-based employees on unpaid leave and terminate most overseas contractors.Â
As a result, over 280 staff members will be laid off by 9 May, with affected employees’ health insurance covered through the end of May.