Organisations urge US to restore funding for RFA's Uyghur service amid China's propaganda push

Munich [Germany], March 22 : A coalition of 57 Uyghur organizations worldwide, in collaboration with the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), has expressed deep gratitude for the Trump administration's strong support for the Uyghur people and urged the restoration of funding for Radio Free Asia's Uyghur Service, warning that its closure would empower China's propaganda efforts and hinder global efforts to combat genocide, according to a press release by World Uyghur Congress.
According to the release, the organisations commended recent actions, particularly the condemnation of Thailand's forced deportation of 40 Uyghur refugees back to China. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visa restrictions on Thai officials complicit in this deportation were also praised, providing hope for the Uyghur community.
While celebrating the US government's defence of Uyghur human rights, the coalition voiced serious concerns about the potential closure of the Uyghur Service at Radio Free Asia (RFA). Since its inception in 1998, the Uyghur Service has been a vital, independent source of uncensored news, exposing China's mass detentions, forced labour, and the destruction of Uyghur culture. Despite the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to suppress the Uyghur voice, RFA has remained a critical counterpoint to Beijing's disinformation campaigns, as cited by WUC.
According to the release, the organizations warn that cutting RFA's funding would not only hinder free speech and democracy but would also strengthen China's ability to influence global narratives in its favour. Under Xi Jinping's leadership, China has increasingly employed disinformation to deny its crimes, shift blame, and use economic pressure to silence international voices. Without RFA's independent reporting, China would face less resistance in spreading its propaganda and whitewashing its actions.
The coalition also emphasized that China poses a significant national security threat to the United States, seeking to replace the US as the global superpower. Reducing funding for the Uyghur Service would have broader economic and security consequences, as China's use of Uyghur forced labour undermines U.S. businesses by flooding markets with cheap goods while its growing economic influence strengthens its military capabilities.
Despite facing relentless attacks from China since 2017, including the imprisonment of their families, the journalists at the Uyghur Service have continued their crucial work, exposing the full extent of China's atrocities. The service's groundbreaking reporting played a key role in the Trump Administration's declaration that China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs.
In light of these concerns, the coalition has called on the Trump Administration to restore funding for the RFA Uyghur Service, ensuring its continued ability to report on the situation and counter Beijing's narrative. Closing the service, they argue, would provide China with a propaganda victory, undermining global efforts to hold it accountable for its actions against the Uyghur people.