Overseas journalists at US-backed media worry being despatched to repressive homelands after Trump's cuts

[ad_1] WASHINGTON (AP) — After hiding in Thailand for seven years, two Cambodian journalists arrived in america final yr on work visas, aiming to maintain offering individuals of their Southeast Asian homeland with objective, factual news by way of Radio Free Asia.

However Vuthy Tha and Hour Hum now say their jobs and authorized standing within the U.S. are in danger after President Donald Trump not too long ago signed an executive order gutting the government-run U.S. Company for International Media. The company funds Radio Free Asia and different shops tasked with delivering uncensored data to elements of the world below authoritarian rule and sometimes without a free press of their own .

Hour Hum, a Cambodian reporter at Radio Free Asia who spent 7 years in a Thai refugee camp earlier than arriving in america, poses for a portrait, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, on the RFA workplace in Washington. (AP Picture/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Learn Extra “It fell out of sky,” Vuthy, a single father of two young children, mentioned by way of a translator in regards to the Trump administration’s choice, which he says threatens to upend his life.

“I'm very regretful that our listeners can not obtain the correct information,” Hour mentioned, additionally by way of a translator.

Each males mentioned they’re fearful about offering for his or her households and being allowed to remain within the U.S. They are saying it’s unimaginable to return to Cambodia, a single-party state hostile to independent media the place they worry being persecuted for his or her journalistic work.

The administration has been dismantling or slashing the scale of federal businesses, main tens of 1000's of presidency employees and contractors to be fired or placed on go away. However the targeting of the U.S. Agency for Global Media , whose decades-old networks purpose to increase American affect overseas, means journalists who've defied authoritarian regimes to assist fulfill a U.S. mission of delivering pro-democracy programming might be deported and face harassment and persecution of their homelands.

Eleven journalists related to the U.S.-funded media shops are behind bars abroad, together with RFA’s Shin Daewe, who's serving 15 years in Myanmar on a cost of supporting terrorism.

At the very least 84 U.S. Company for International Media, or USAGM, journalists in america on work visas might face deportation, together with not less than 23 “at critical danger of being instantly arrested upon arrival and doubtlessly imprisoned,” in line with the advocacy group Reporters With out Borders and a coalition of 36 human rights organizations.

“It's outrageous that these journalists, who danger their lives to show the extent of repression of their dwelling nations, is perhaps fully deserted,” mentioned Thibaut Bruttin, director common of Reporters With out Borders.

“The U.S. Congress should take duty for shielding these reporters and all USAGM-funded shops, funded by Congress itself,” Bruttin mentioned. “This duty is not only ethical — it stems from america’ dedication to defending the ideas of democracy and press freedom.”

The Senate Overseas Relations Committee and the Home Overseas Affairs Committee didn't reply to requests for remark. The White Home didn't remark.

The State Division mentioned it's coordinating with USAGM on imprisoned journalists and that it condemns unjust detentions of journalists for exercising their freedom of expression.

Journalists sue over Trump’s order Various journalists for Voice of America, a information service additionally overseen by USAGM, have sued in a federal court . That features two unnamed international journalists on short-term visas.

If deported, one might danger imprisonment for 10 years for his work for VOA, and the opposite, a member of a persecuted minority in his dwelling nation, might be in “bodily hazard,” the lawsuit mentioned.

The court docket has briefly halted contract terminations, stopping the visa holders from being pressured to depart for now.

The receptionist desk sits empty at Radio Free Asia, Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Picture/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

Learn Extra Each RFA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, one other USAGM-funded media outlet, even have sued looking for restoration of funding.

Trump’s cuts come after the U.S. final yr helped free Alsu Kurmasheva — a twin U.S.-Russian citizen and journalist with RFE/RL — in a high-profile prisoner swap that included Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich .

In February, the Trump administration announced the release of Andrey Kuznechyk , a Belarusian journalist with RFE/RL’s Belarus service. The community nonetheless has 4 journalists jailed — one every in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea.

Voice of America has a contributor jailed in Myanmar and one other in Vietnam, mentioned Jessica Jerreat, VOA’s press freedom editor.

In Vietnam, 4 RFA reporters are in jail and one other is below home arrest, in line with Tamara Bralo, the outlet’s head of journalist safety. She mentioned she’s involved that American assist in looking for their launch might diminish if RFA folds.

Vietnam persistently ranks close to the underside within the Press Freedom Index by Reporters With out Borders, which says about 40 journalists are held in Vietnam’s prisons the place mistreatment is widespread.

Reporters worry being despatched again Khoa Lai, a Vietnamese journalist who joined RFA in Washington on a piece visa solely days earlier than Trump took workplace, mentioned returning to Vietnam is dangerous for him.

“I might face prosecution or be in jail,” mentioned Lai, who produces video tales on freedom of speech, freedom of faith and political corruption for RFA’s Vietnamese service. “I don’t know for certain, nevertheless it received’t be good.”

Each Vuthy and Hour started working for RFA in Cambodia however needed to go away in 2017 when Cambodia’s high court docket dissolved the primary opposition CNRP get together, authorities arrested their colleagues and RFA closed its workplace.

In neighboring Thailand as refugees, each continued to report for RFA, however with their identities hidden. They nonetheless risked getting despatched again to Cambodia till RFA introduced them to the U.S. on work visas final yr. They've reported on points starting from politics, corruption and human rights to local weather change and atmosphere.

Cambodia’s autocratic former Prime Minister Hun Sen , who dominated his nation for almost 4 a long time and passed power to his son Hun Manet , praised Trump in a Fb submit for “having the braveness to steer the world to fight pretend information” by chopping funding to USAGM.

Vuthy says he’s nonetheless hopeful that RFA may survive, including that it “is combating for its existence.”

___ Related Press writers Kanis Leung in Hong Kong, Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Elsie Chen in Washington contributed to this report.

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