The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) has issued an urgent appeal to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for the reinstatement of US funding for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the preservation of critical federal grants to Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA), including their Tibetan-language services.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Rubio, GATPM Founder and Chair Tsering Passang expressed deep concern over the recent announcement to discontinue these vital funding streams. He warned that such cuts would severely weaken Tibetan resistance to Beijing’s oppression and embolden the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to erase Tibet’s cultural and linguistic identity.
“As the son of a veteran of the Tibetan resistance movement in Mustang, I make this urgent appeal with deep conviction,” wrote Passang. “While my father spent a decade in the rugged Himalayan mountains fighting for Tibet’s freedom, my battlefield is different. From London, I work to counter China’s disinformation campaigns and advocate against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) brutal oppression.”
The letter (see below) highlights the CCP’s ongoing atrocities in Tibet, including mass surveillance, suppression of religious freedoms, and the forced assimilation of nearly a million Tibetan children into state-run boarding schools. It underscores that US-funded Tibetan-language services of RFA and VOA remain a critical lifeline for Tibetans living under Beijing’s repressive regime, providing access to uncensored news, democratic discourse, and cultural preservation efforts.
Passang emphasised that RFA and VOA’s Tibetan-language services serve as a crucial bridge between Tibetans inside Tibet and those in exile. In a region where independent journalism is systematically suppressed, these broadcasts provide one of the only means for Tibetans inside Tibet to connect with the outside world. They expose the CCP’s human rights violations, environmental destruction, and military expansionism while offering exiled Tibetans an avenue to maintain ties with their homeland. Tibetan-speaking populations across the Himalayan belt and beyond also benefit from these vital services.
“Eliminating funding for these essential services would weaken US efforts to counter Beijing’s growing influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific,” Passang warned. “Preserving RFA and VOA’s Tibetan services is not just a strategic necessity – it is a moral imperative.”
The appeal also emphasises Tibet’s historical ties with the United States, referencing the Mustang resistance fighters who once aligned with US strategic interests in the 1960s and 1970s. Passang argues that withdrawing such crucial support now would betray America’s long-standing commitment to human rights and democracy, further strengthening China’s authoritarian grip.
He urged Secretary Rubio and the Trump administration to uphold the principles enshrined in the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (2018) and the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (2020) – legislative measures signed into law during President Trump’s first term that reaffirmed America’s commitment to Tibet.
“At this critical juncture, the world looks to the United States to uphold fundamental freedoms and resist authoritarian oppression,” said Passang. “The Tibetan people have always been genuine admirers and time-tested allies of America. Our younger generations must be empowered to carry forward their parents’ legacy of resisting CCP oppression and defending freedom, justice, and global peace.”
The Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities urges the US government to reverse its decision and continue standing firmly with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom.
