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Category: South Asia

Chinese influencer Yaya ordered to leave Taiwan after posting pro-China video

Editor06 mins

Prominent Chinese influencer Liu Zhenya, also known as “Yaya,” left Taiwan Tuesday evening on orders from the Taiwanese government after she got in trouble for social media posts that appeared to support China’s use of force to take over Taiwan. Initially, Liu resisted leaving and held a press conference to protest the decision, claiming the Taiwan government was abusing its power. She was criticized by protesters who gathered at the scene and shouted anti-China slogans. But Liu left Taiwan on Tuesday evening, March 25, just before the deadline set by the Taipei government two weeks earlier. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province that needs to be “reunified” with China, by force if necessary. The video that got Liu in trouble was from May 2024. At that time, she posted a video on her Douyin social media account about China’s “Joint Sword 2024A” military exercises around Taiwan. In the video, she called the Chinese military drills “the most intimidating and aggressive exercises ever,” and expressed support for defending national sovereignty. “Maybe tomorrow morning, the island will be filled with five-star red flags,” she said. “Just thinking about it makes me happy.” This video was later reposted on the official Facebook account of Taiwan.cn, a media outlet under the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing. On March 12, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency, or NIA, determined that her actions violated regulations on residency for mainland Chinese nationals and revoked her residency permit on the grounds of “endangering national security and social stability.” It also imposed a five-year ban on reapplying for the permit and said she must leave the island by March 25. Heckled at press conference On Tuesday, Liu held a press conference to criticize the NIA’s decision to revoke her residency, calling it an abuse of power. Liu defended her comments, insisting that she had never advocated for military unification. “I support peaceful unification. My discussion of military unification was based on an analysis of the current situation,” she said. “Talking about military unification is different from advocating for it.” Liu also appealed to the Taiwan government not to separate her from her children, who live in Taiwan with her Taiwanese husband. 【亚亚抗拒限期离境 在台湾内政部陈情】【大批民众聚集抗议亚亚 要求她“回归中国”】网红八囧与群众在内政部门口与亚亚及支持者对峙，高喊口号。亚亚在内政部门口辩称自己没有主张武统，是对“形势的分析”。看看资料影片，大家觉得她的口气是“分析”还是“鼓吹武统”？#亚亚 #武统 #居留 #台湾 #中国… pic.twitter.com/HKAc6XUtea — 自由亚洲电台 (@RFA_Chinese) March 25, 2025 Throughout the press conference, protesters repeatedly shouted, “Welcome Yaya back to China,” along with other chants like “Yaya, go back to China!” and “June 4,” a reference to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre that Beijing has attempted to cover up. Ba Jiong, a Taiwanese influencer who had originally reported on Liu’s actions, claimed Liu’s refusal to leave voluntarily was an attempt to stage a dramatic exit, with Taiwanese immigration officers escorting her onto the plane. Ba Jiong said this would allow Liu to create propaganda for Chinese state media. “Yaya wants to take a symbolic gesture back to China,” he said. “We’ll help fulfill her wish by holding signs like ‘June 4’ and images of Xi Jinping and the former Foreign Minister Qin Gang who went silent, making sure she has no material to use for her propaganda.” Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai said that freedom of speech must have limits. “Freedom of speech has boundaries, and the boundary is the survival of the state,” he said. “One cannot defame the country and still expect it to protect you.” In a separate interview, Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang pointed out that Liu was not just an ordinary mother. “She is waging a legal, public opinion, and psychological battle, and she has also received support from many pro-China Taiwanese and influencers.” Liu confirmed that NIA had made a decision regarding Liu, urging her to leave voluntarily. “If she does not depart by the deadline, we will take compulsory measures, and this decision has not changed,” she said. Edited by Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Junta chief vows to hike defense budget, seeking to expand global presence

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Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Myanmar’s junta chief said the military would increase the defense budget, while seeking to expand his international presence with a reported plan to join a regional summit in Thailand next month. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing announced on Monday that the junta would increase the budget for its defense ministry to “enhance the strength and capacity of defense forces” as well as to “maintain peace and stability.” He did not provide specific figures. Since the 2021 coup, the junta has tripled its defense budget from 1.746 trillion kyats to 5.635 trillion kyats (US$2.68 billion) by 2023, according to media reports, accounting for about a quarter of the government’s total spending. The military has also invested over US$1 billion in weapons, primarily from Russia, China, Singapore, India and Thailand. Despite bolstering its capabilities, the junta faces intense international criticism for human rights violations, including indiscriminate attacks and mass detentions, leading to accusations of war crimes and increasing global isolation. Min Aung Hlaing has been also sanctioned by multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union’s 27 member states. These sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and prohibitions on transactions, aimed at holding him accountable for human rights violations and the military’s seizure of power. However, Min Aung Hlaing appears to be attempting to reshape his international standing, as media reports indicate that he plans to participate in a regional summit in Bangkok next week – marking his first visit to Thailand. According to Thai media outlet ThaiPBS on Monday, Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to visit Bangkok from April 3 to 4 to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, or BIMSTEC, summit. The summit is expected to be attended by heads of state from member countries, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BIMSTEC is a regional cooperation organization established in 1997, comprising seven countries bordering the Bay of Bengal: India, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan. Min Aung Hlaing also recently visited Russia and Belarus, where he held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Separately, he attended the Mekong River Basin Summit held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, in November – marking his first visit to China since the coup. RELATED STORIES Myanmar’s junta launches offensives on rebel strongholds in Mandalay region Junta offensives leave 4 dead, thousands displaced in northwest Myanmar Junta airstrike hits a clinic in central Myanmar, killing 11, including children Assaults in northern Myanmar As the junta leader looks abroad for support for his unelected government and approval for elections he plans to hold by January, his military’s attacks on pro-democracy forces and ethnic armies fighting for autonomy continue in an indiscriminate and brutal fashion. A resident from Mandalay’s Natogyi township said that junta forces bombed two villages around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, injuring two women and six men, including a 13-year-old child. Insurgent groups, which retain control over much of the township, have seen a resurgence in junta offensives, following a series of failed ceasefires between the junta and rebel militias in the country’s north. “They were all just civilians, Although most were people avoiding conflict, there were those who couldn’t avoid it and were stuck in Let Wea and Myinni villages,” said the resident, who declined to be named over security concerns. “When the bomb fell, they ran but they didn’t get away.” Airstrikes on Myinni and Let Wea villages in Natogyi township in Mandalay region burned down more than 10 houses on March 23, 2025.(Natogyi Journal) A 65-year-old man was severely injured, and over 10 houses were destroyed by the blast, he added. Most residents from the two villages were sheltering in nearby mountains, but about a third had chosen to remain in their homes, residents said. Junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Htun has declined to comment. According to data compiled by RFA, 3,554 people have been killed by junta-led attacks since the coup began in February 2021, and another 7,064 have been injured. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Xi Jinping’s family wealth persists despite anti-corruption drive: US report

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TAIPEI, Taiwan – Chinese President Xi Jinping’s family continues to hold millions of dollars in business interests and financial investments, said a recent U.S. report, raising suspicion that they might have benefited from Xi’s position despite his decade-long anti-corruption campaign. Xi launched an anti-corruption drive shortly after he took power in 2012, aimed at rooting out corruption at all levels of the Communist Party. The campaign, which targeted both high-ranking “tigers” and low-level “flies,” led to the investigation and punishment of hundreds of thousands of officials. But the U.S.-backed intelligence agency Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, said Xi’s relatives have retained significant financial holdings, and they may have benefited from political connections through private and state-owned businesses. “Their [Chinese leaders’] senior-level positions would have granted access to privileged information and both private and state-owned enterprise actions could have advantaged family holdings due to their connections to persons with political power,” said the ODNI in a report released on Thursday. It didn’t identify any direct influence from the leaders contributing to growth in family investments. But it warned that centralized power, a lack of independent oversight, and minimal accountability, especially at the provincial level, are systemic factors that allow corruption to thrive in China. The report said these factors enable government officials to increase their personal wealth through corruption at a rate estimated to be four to six times their official salaries. “Higher-ranking officials, who have greater access to state resources, benefit the most from bribery and illicit financial dealings,” said the ODNI, citing membership in China’s National People’s Congress, or NPC, as an example. “Potential benefits of NPC membership incentivize individuals to pay high costs to join, often through bribes, and to accept bribes while a member, or even upon completion of service, to facilitate business deals,” it added. The NPC, China’s legislative body that serves primarily as a rubber-stamp parliament, is perceived as a status symbol and vehicle through which to gain access to sensitive government information. Xi’s anti-corruption drive Since taking power, Xi has positioned himself as a staunch opponent of corruption, launching an unprecedented crackdown within the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, the government, and the military. According to the ODNI, from 2012 to 2022, nearly five million officials have been investigated, with 4.7 million found guilty. “In his words, Xi intended to make government officials ‘unable and unwilling to be corrupt,’” said the ODNI. RELATED STORIES Chinese officials get derisory ‘Snail Awards’ for lying down on the job China probes top military official for ‘serious violations’ China to seize 3.1 bln yuan in assets linked to exiled former vice mayor The report also acknowledged that Xi’s early anti-corruption investigations primarily targeted high-ranking officials associated with his predecessors. But a decade-long drive widened its focus to officials from various factions, including those with close personal ties to Xi. Notably, in recent months, Xi has removed several top military officials, including Defense Minister Li Shangfu and Admiral Miao Hua, both of whom were considered close allies. Their abrupt dismissals underscore the CCP’s ongoing concerns about loyalty and military effectiveness, particularly within the People’s Liberation Army, which Xi has ordered to be combat-ready for a potential conflict over Taiwan by 2027. Edited by Taejun Kang and Stephen Wright. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Arrested ARSA leader blamed for violence against Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Editor03 mins

DHAKA, Bangladesh – The leader of a Rohingya insurgent group blamed for instigating attacks that provoked a deadly offensive by the Myanmar military and the forced cross-border exodus of Rohingya in 2017 has not spilled “significant information” since his arrest earlier this week, Bangladesh police said. Ataullah Abu Jununi, leader of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, was arrested on Tuesday at an apartment near Dhaka where he had been staying for four months. The Rapid Action Battalion, an elite security force, said it took him into custody on suspicion of terrorism and illegal entry. Nine suspected accomplices were also arrested that day from northern Mymensingh district, RAB said. Mohammad Shahinur Alom, the officer-in-charge of Siddhirganj police station, said Ataullah and his accomplices were being interrogated for 10 days under a court order. “He is behaving in a very modest way. He has yet to give any significant information. Let us see what happens in the next several days,” Shahinur Alom told RFA affiliate BenarNews on Friday. Ataullah’s arrest occurred the same day that Southeast Asian NGO rebels have made significant gains in battles with junta troops to gain control of the region. “The U.N. secretary-general has stressed that Bangladesh should talk to the Arakan Army. Ataullah’s arrest could create a congenital atmosphere for probable repatriation of the Rohingya refugees, provided that Arakan Army and the central government agree,” he said. Abdur Rahman in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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EXPLAINED: Why March is a sensitive month for Tibetans

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For decades now, March has been a politically sensitive month for Tibetans, when Chinese authorities ramp up restrictions and security measures. That’s because a series of important events and acts of Tibetan resistance have happened during this month over the years, starting with the March 10, 1959, uprising against Chinese rule. This year, too, Beijing has intensified security and surveillance measures across Tibet, conducting inspections and holding provincial, county and township level meetings to issue strict directives to take action to “win the stability battle” in March. Additional police and military forces have been deployed in the capital of Lhasa, including religious sites such as the Jokhang Temple and Sera Monastery, according to two sources in the region. Security personnel have been patrolling neighborhoods even at 3 a.m., they said. Social media censorship and internet shutdowns prevent Tibetans from sharing information with the outside world. What happened on March 10, 1959? On that day 66 years ago, tens of thousands of Tibetans in Lhasa rose up against Chinese rule, which had begun when Mao Zedong’s Communists invaded and forcibly annexed Tibet in 1950. The revolt was in direct response to growing Chinese repression and fears for the safety of the Dalai Lama. As Chinese forces rose to crush the rebellion, thousands of Tibetans died. Hundreds of Tibetans march through the center of Sydney, Australia, on March 10, 2017, marking the 58th anniversary of China’s presence in Tibet.(Jason Reed/Reuters) This year, in cities and towns globally, including in India, North America, and in Europe, the Tibetan Women’s Association organized marches that included students, Buddhist nuns and activists who amplified the voices of past Tibetan women patriots and assert the role of Tibetan women living in exile. March 14: Lhasa protest and crackdown Many years later, on March 14, 2008, large-scale protests erupted in Lhasa against Chinese rule and religious repression, erosion of Tibetan culture and economic marginalization. What began as a peaceful protest quickly escalated into the biggest uprisings in Tibet since 1959, triggering a violent crackdown, resulting in hundreds of arrests, disappearances and deaths. A Tibetan nun listens to a speaker during a protest march held to mark the 65th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising against Chinese rule, in Dharamsala, India, March 10, 2024.(Adnan Abidi/Reuters) What does the Dalai Lama say about the future of Tibet? Beijing believes the Dalai Lama wants to split off the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces from the rest of the country. However, the Dalai Lama does not advocate for independence but rather a “Middle Way” that accepts Tibet’s status as a part of China and urges greater cultural and religious freedoms, including strengthened language rights that are guaranteed for ethnic minorities under China’s constitution. Do Tibetans living in exile protest in March? Yes. Every March 10, Tibetans and their supporters around the world organize protests and solidarity events marking the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising. These protests serve as a powerful reminder of Tibet’s ongoing struggle for freedom and human rights. Edited by Tenzin Pema, Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Myanmar junta admits misconduct in its controversial conscription scheme

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Read RFA coverage of this story in Burmese. Myanmar junta’s top official said there had been misconduct in its conscription scheme – the military’s first admission since introducing conscription laws that have been highly criticized by rights groups. Facing serious setbacks from insurgent groups across the country, reduced foreign investment, and defections from its own troops, the junta enacted controversial conscription laws in February last year, mandating compulsory military service for men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27. “Some recruitment committees have not followed legal procedures, leading to financial corruption and difficulties for some conscripts,” said Myanmar’s Vice-Senior General and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Gen. Soe Win in a speech on Thursday, adding that these “daily issues” were being addressed. It marked the first time junta officials admitted to misconduct in their conscription scheme. “Therefore, military personnel must promptly report any misconduct by recruitment committees to the relevant authorities,” Soe Win added. His remarks came amid widespread backlash against the scheme, with citizens fleeing the country to escape mandatory service, and local resistance groups retaliating by targeting officials involved in its enforcement. Junta recruiters have also been accused of taking bribes from households desperate to keep their family members from fighting and conscripting minors by arresting them. Some residents testified that many were forced to pay monthly fees to avoid conscription, while others said they had no choice but to pay ransom to secure the release of arrested family members and keep them from the frontlines. Human rights organizations have condemned the law as an abuse of power and a violation of human rights, while international observers warn that the policy could further destabilize the already volatile nation. RELATED STORIES Myanmar’s forced conscription: How the junta targets young men for military service Junta troops forcibly recruit more than 70 young men in Myanmar town 29 young men escape Myanmar junta’s conscription Many new recruits have been sent for training after being detained at gunpoint by junta troops. They face torture or execution if they are caught trying to escape. In late February, rebels in Myanmar’s Bago region assassinated two local administrators who forcibly recruited civilians for military service, bringing the number of officials killed for their involvement in carrying out the draft to at least 110. Between February and September 2024, anti-junta forces killed 108 ward and village administrators involved in recruiting, compiling name lists and extorting money for military service, according to data compiled by Radio Free Asia. Translated by Kiana Duncan. Edited by Taejun Kang. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Cambodia’s Ream naval base to open in early April

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The Chinese-developed Ream naval base in southwest Cambodia’s Sihanoukville province is slated to open early next month after three years of construction, a Cambodian commander has said. General Vong Pisen, commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, or RCAF, told the new Japanese military attaché in the kingdom that after the launch in early April, Cambodia would allow warships from his country to be the first to “historically” dock at Ream. Up until now, the main, new part of the base where China has built a deep draft pier capable of handling ships as large as aircraft carriers, a dry dock and other facilities, has been off limits to foreign vessels apart from Chinese ones. When a U.S. Navy ship visited Cambodia for the first time in eight years in December last year, it docked at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port some 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. Radio Free Asia reported last month that China sent two more warships to Ream, indicating that the construction may be near completion and the planned transfer of Chinese ships to Cambodia was imminent. This week, the naval base’s management announced that the inauguration ceremony for a Cambodia-China Logistics and Training Center would be held soon. RELATED STORIES Chinese defense company builds industrial estate in Cambodia Canadian warship visits Cambodia after drills in South China Sea Cambodia asks to renew joint drills with US amid Ream base concerns China’s foothold China and Cambodia began developing the Ream naval base with Beijing’s funding in June 2021 but a ground breaking-ceremony was held one year later in 2022. Last August, when visiting Ream, a RFA reporter witnessed the fast pace of development and was told that 100 Chinese naval personnel were “working day and night” on it. Together with the new facilities, Beijing is to give Cambodia two vessels, likely Type 056A missile corvettes, and has been training the Cambodian navy how to use them. Cambodia’s defense minister Tea Seiha (second left) inspects the Ream naval base on March 15, 2025. To his right is his cousin Tea Sokha, the new navy commander.(Facebook/Ream naval base) During the meeting on Tuesday between Gen. Vong Pisen and Japan’s military attaché, Takashi Hara, Vong said that the fact that Japanese vessels were to be given the first access showed “the high level of cooperation, communication and mutual trust” in the Cambodia-Japan comprehensive strategic partnership. Political commentator Kim Sok told RFA Khmer service that the gesture was designed to ease tensions surrounding the Chinese military presence at Ream because Japan is an ally of the United States and at the same time not considered a rival to China, therefore neutral. The U.S. has repeatedly expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the Ream base’s development while Cambodia’s neighbors worry that a foothold at Ream would give China better control over the Indo-China peninsula and the South China Sea. Cambodia’s constitution does not allow foreign bases in the country but analysts say that China, having invested a large sum of money in the project, would have preferential access to Ream. Collin Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said that the arrangement was to give Beijing access to Ream’s facilities “predicated upon an on-demand basis, meaning they would have to be made available upon China’s request.” Edited by Mike Firn We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Junta troops forcibly recruit more than 70 young men in Myanmar town

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Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese. Authorities in Myanmar forcibly recruited more than 70 young men from a single town in the south-central Ayeyarwady region, residents said Monday, as the junta launched a new round of training for the country’s draftees. It’s the latest round-up under Myanmar’s military service law, which the junta began implementing last April as a way of shoring up its dwindling ranks amid mounting losses to rebel groups. On March 14, junta troops in Ayeyarwady’s Mawlamyinegyun township arrested more than 70 men — including some as young as 17 years old — and sent them to depots in the Yangon region to take part in the 11th round of military training, residents told RFA Burmese. The arrests were carried out by troops from the junta’s 534th Infantry Battalion based in Mawlamyinegyun, said one resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. “Young people in the villages are too afraid to sleep at home at night due to fear of conscription,” he said. “Soldiers are forcibly arresting them. The local battalion is carrying out the arrests, and at times, parents have no idea where to look for their children [after they are taken].” The identities of the young men were not immediately clear, and RFA was unable to independently verify who was taken in the dragnet. Attempts by RFA to contact Khin Maung Kyi, the junta’s spokesperson and social affairs minister for the Ayeyarwady region, for comment on the situation went unanswered Monday. The forced recruitment comes after residents of Ayeyarwady’s Hinthada, Laputta, and Kangyidaung townships last month said that several young men fled the area after they were summoned by name for conscription, instead of an earlier used lottery system. Administrators targeted over draft Under the mandatory military service law, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve a minimum of two years in the military. Young people have been looking for ways to leave the country ever since the law was enacted. Many new recruits have been sent for training after being detained at gunpoint by junta troops. They face torture or execution if they are caught trying to escape. In late February, rebels in Myanmar’s Bago region assassinated two local administrators who forcibly recruited civilians for military service, residents and other sources said, bringing the number of officials killed for their involvement in carrying out the draft to at least 110. Prior to the incidents, the latest killing of an administrator for their involvement in military recruitment was that of Than Htwe, of Khwet Ma village in Magway region’s Minhla township, who was shot dead on Feb. 15. Between February and September 2024, anti-junta forces killed 108 ward and village administrators involved in recruiting, compiling name lists and extorting money for military service, according to data compiled by RFA. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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UN chief: Discussing humanitarian aid corridor from Bangladesh to Myanmar

Editor08 mins

Read this story on BenarNews site. DHAKA, Bangladesh — The United Nations is discussing the possibility of a humanitarian aid corridor to Myanmar from Bangladesh in an effort to create equitable conditions for Rohingya refugees to eventually return, the U.N. chief said in Dhaka on Saturday. However, the Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh could not make and immediate, “dignified return to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine state amid the continued fighting there, added U.N. Secretary General António Guterres at a media briefing. U.N. chief António Guterres at a photo exhibition in Dhaka for the 50th anniversary this year of Bangladesh joining the United Nations, March 15, 2025.(Chief Adviser GOB via Facebook) “The crisis in Myanmar demands urgent global attention and action,” said Ejaz Min Khant in a statement Wednesday. “A humanitarian corridor between Myanmar and Bangladesh would be a lifeline for civilians impacted by the conflict.” The statement said Bangladesh should also lift restrictions on border trade with Myanmar “to help ease access to basic commodities for civilians in Rakhine state.” The NGO noted that Bangladesh’s interim leader, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus had said in an interview aired earlier this month on Sky News that his government was in ongoing negotiations with the Arakan Army to create a “safe zone” for Rohingya refugees to return to Rakhine. Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, who also spoke at the joint media briefing, said the establishment of a humanitarian channel was not discussed with the U.N. chief during his visit. “This is much more of an operational matter, which we will of course deal [on] with the local offices of the U.N.,” Hossain said. Nearly a million Rohingya, a persecuted minority Muslim community in Myanmar, live in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh. Almost 800,000 of them crossed into neighboring Bangladesh to flee a deadly Myanmar military crackdown in 2017. Their return to Rakhine has been prolonged after civil war broke out in Myanmar following the military coup of February 2021. RELATED STORIES UN chief Guterres breaks Ramadan fast with 100,000 Rohingya in Bangladesh ‘Deeper into hunger’: UN to halve food aid for Rohingya in Bangladesh Rubio allows humanitarian aid as Dhaka claims Rohingya funding will continue U.N. human rights experts had said on Thursday that the Myanmar junta had not been allowing in relief supplies, with the situation “particularly critical in Rakhine,” which is home to the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities. Rakhine State was “on the brink of famine,” with two million people at risk of starvation, the statement added citing another U.N. agency. Meanwhile, heavy fighting continues in Rakhine between the Myanmar military and the rebel Arakan Army, Guterres said on Saturday. “There is a consensus that it would be extremely difficult in such a situation for an immediate and dignified return of the Rohingya,” he told the mrdia in Dhaka on Saturday. Guterres further noted that in the past, the relationship between the ethnic Rakhine and the Rohingya has not been an easy one. “So I think it is important to engage with the Arakan Army in order for ensure full respect of the rights of the Rohingya population in Rakhine,” the U.N. chief said. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres observes a traditional tool used by Rohingya to thresh rice, March 14, 2025.(Press Wing of the Chief Adviser) The Arakan Army founded in 2009 is fighting to “liberate” Rakhine towards its goal of self-determination. It has made significant gains over the past year to root out the military and now controls a majority of Rakhine’s townships, reported radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews. Comprising mainly Rakhine Buddhists, the Arakan Army claimed it respects the rights of Rohingya. But experts have said there was plenty of evidence that the Arakan Army carried out mass arson attacks on Rohingya villages in May and August last year. Guterres again made an impassioned plea to donor nations for more humanitarian aid for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, whose food ration is set to be cut by more than half starting next month due to a funds shortage. “With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40% in 2025 of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2024,” he said. “This would have terrible consequences starting with the drastic reduction of food rations. That would be an unmitigated disaster. People will suffer and people will die.” He said that by offering the Rohingya refuge, Bangladesh had shown its humanitarian spirit. “By offering Rohingya refugees sanctuary, Bangladesh has demonstrated solidarity and human dignity, often at significant social, environmental and economic cost,” he said. “The world must not take this generosity for granted.” BenarNews is an online news organization affiliated with Radio Free Asia. 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RFA operations may cease following federal grants termination

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The federal grants that fund Radio Free Asia and partner networks were terminated Saturday morning, according to a grant termination notice received by RFA. An executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday calls for the reduction of non-statutory components of the United States Agency for Global Media, or USAGM, the federal agency that funds RFA and several other independent global news organizations. The U.S. Congress appropriates funds to USAGM, which disburses the monies to the grantee news outlets. The brief order calls for the elimination “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” of USAGM and six other unrelated government entities that work on museums, homelessness, minority business development and more. While the order addresses “non-statutory components” of USAGM, RFA is statutorily established, meaning it was congressionally established by a statute in the International Broadcasting Act . But a letter sent to the president of RFA Saturday and signed by USAGM special adviser Kari Lake, whose title is listed as “Senior Advisor to the Acting CEO with Authorities Delegated by Acting CEO,” notes that the agency’s federal grant has been terminated and that RFA is obliged to “promptly refund any unobligated funds.” It says that an appeal can be made within 30 days. It was not immediately clear how and when operations would cease, but RFA is solely funded through federal grants. In a statement issued Saturday, RFA President Bay Fang said the outlet planned to challenge the order. “The termination of RFA’s grant is a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked in the information space,” the statement says. “Today’s notice not only disenfranchises the nearly 60 million people who turn to RFA’s reporting on a weekly basis to learn the truth, but it also benefits America’s adversaries at our own expense.” An editorially independent news outlet funded through an act of Congress, RFA began its first Mandarin language broadcasts in 1996, expanding in subsequent years to a total of nine language services: Cantonese, Uyghur, Tibetan, Korean, Khmer, Vietnamese, Burmese and Lao. RFA news programming is disseminated through radio, television, social media and the web in countries that have little to no free press, often providing the only source of uncensored, non-propaganda news. Because RFA covers closed-off countries and regions like North Korea, Tibet and Xinjiang, its English-language translations remain the primary source of information from many of these areas. Its parent agency, USAGM, oversees broadcasters that work in more than 60 languages and reach an audience of hundreds of millions. These include Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which reported Saturday that its grants had also been terminated. Voice of America and the Office for Cuba Broadcasting, which are directly run by USAGM, put all staff on paid administrative leave Saturday. In a post on Facebook, VOA Director Michael Abramowitz wrote: “I learned this morning that virtually the entire staff of Voice of America—more than 1300 journalists, producers and support staff—has been placed on administrative leave today. So have I.” Committee to Protect Journalists Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna urged Congress to restore funding to USAGM, “which provides uncensored news in countries where the press is restricted.” “It is outrageous that the White House is seeking to gut the Congress-funded agency supporting independent journalism that challenges narratives of authoritarian regimes around the world,” he said in a statement. China watchers cautioned that cuts to RFA in particular could impact Washington’s ability to counter Beijing. “Radio Free Asia plays a vital role in countering China’s influence by providing accurate and uncensored news to audiences facing relentless propaganda from the People’s Republic of China,” Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat, wrote in a post on X. “RFA helps advance American values amidst our ongoing Great Power Competition with China and exposes egregious human rights abuses like the Uyghur genocide and Beijing’s covert activities abroad.” Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul called the dismantling of RFA and its sister publications “giant gifts to China,” while Human Rights Watch’s Maya Wang posted that in places like Xinjiang and Tibet: “Radio Free Asia has been one of the few which can get info out. Its demise would mean that these places will become info black holes, just as the CCP wants them.” In a statement issued by USAGM Saturday evening and posted to X by Lake, the agency deemed itself “not salvageable” due to a range of alleged findings of security violations and self-dealing, though few details were provided. “From top-to-bottom this agency is a giant rot and burden to the American taxpayer — a national security risk for this nation — and irretrievably broken. While there are bright spots within the agency with personnel who are talented and dedicated public servants, this is the exception rather than the rule,” the statement read. We are : Investigative Journalism Reportika Investigative Reports Daily Reports Interviews Surveys Reportika

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Investigative Journalism Reportika © March 2022 by Ij-Reportika is licensed under CC BY 4.0