March 26, 2019
Radio Free Asia
2025 M Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036 USA
ATTN: Ms. Libby Liu, President
Mr.Eric Tarring, Director of Human Resources
Nadia Cao,Director of Mandarin Service
SUBJECT: Requesting apology for the incorrect and misleading news
On March 11, 2019, the Mandarin Service of Radio Free Asia published a report regarding the Dalai Lama’s supposed nomination of pro-democracy activist Wang Bingzhang for the Nobel Peace Prize.
On March 13, "The Voice of Tibet", after an interview with the Dalai Lama’s representative, published a rebuttal article titled "The Dalai Lama supports the concern of China's democracy and human rights, but has not raised any Nobel Prize candidates list."
As quoted from this text: “Ms Sheng Xue, the vice-president of Federation for a democratic China, told a reporter for the Chinese media in the US at an interview that she, together with Qin Jin and a few others, requested His Holiness Dalai Lama to nominate Wang Bingzhang for the Nobel Peace Prize and the request was accepted. ” Further on in this article it stated, “This news proved to be false as verified by the office of His Holiness Dalai Lama. Though his Holiness Dalai Lama is permanently concerned about Chinese human rights, he has never nominated or promised to nominate any candidates for any Nobel Prize. ”
After learning of the Dalai Lama’s refutation of Sheng Xue’s claim on "The Voice of Tibet", we, as most of the readers and listeners of RFA, are shocked and concerned at the same time. Woeser, a well-known Tibetan writer, commented in her twitter: “How could those people take advantage of the mercy of His Holiness Dalai Lama and spread fabricated stories through media? Don't we have the right to criticize this kind of act?”
We believe that your reporting of this nomination did not pass the necessary procedure as outlined in your own “Code of Ethics” of being verified by the Dalai Lama's office. This seriously violated news standards and damaged the credibility of your platform. Readers and listeners of your publications rely on the accuracy of your reports to make informed decisions. Incorrect reporting will damage your reputation and your credibility with your audience.
As Radio Free Asia is funded by US taxpayers, you bear the responsibility of accurate reporting. It is necessary to admit the mistakes and publicly apologize in accordance with your own “Code of Ethics”. A published apology from RFA is the minimum action that should be taken.
Thank you very much for your attention!
Co-signed by:
LU Decheng- Former Chinese political prisoner. On May 23, 1989, Lu Decheng, together with Yu Dongyue and Yu Zhijian, threw paint on the huge portrait of Mao Zedong hanging in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He now lives in exile in Canada since 2006. Received the US "Free Spirit Award" in 2006
Chen Yiran- Witness of the Tiananmen Massacre; immigrated to Canada in 1999; was a volunteer for FDC Canada since 2003, a board member and accountant forthe Shiyuan Project for 6 years; currently living in Canada.
Zhu Rui- Writer and novelist with focus on Tibet, having published novels, essays, political commentaries; now a Canadian citizenship.
Peng Xiaoming- Worked as an editor in a Shanghai literature & art publishing house after graduating from Shanghai Fudan Univesity; came to Germany to study further at University of Bonn in cultural anthropology; is editor of the Chinese European Post, the last Chinese newspaper in Europe which is independent and free from censorship, an active member of the Chinese democracy movement since 1989 and serves as Vice-Chair of FDC headquarters; currently living in Germany.
Liu Shaofu- Graduated from the East China Normal University in Shanghai, participated in the Chinese democracy movement in 1978 and was one of the founders of the underground magazine, “Voice of Democracy”; came to Canada in 1991; and was an important member of the overseas Chinese democracy movement; serves as the speaker of FDC headquarters since November 2012; currently living in Canada.
FEI Liangyong-Started his career as a nuclear physicist after graduating from Tsinghua University with a major in nuclear reactor engineering; came to Germany in 1987 for further studies at Munich University of Technology; is an active member of the Chinese democracy movement since 1989, served as Chair of FDC headquarter from 2003 to 2012, was one of the founders of the registered NGO “Forum for a Democratic China and Asia” and board director since 2006; currently living in Germany.
Mo Liis Mo Lihua's pen name. She is a Chinese writer-in-exile who graduated from the Chinese Department of Beijing Normal University (a class for advanced studies started by the Department). She taught at Shaoyang Teachers' College in Hunan Province until 1989. She was imprisoned for nearly three years after the June Fourth Massacre in Beijing for her participation in the demonstrations. As an exiled political activist, she now lives in Sweden, where she is a writer and a Chinese language teacher in Sundsvall.Mo Li was a winner of multiple awards for media、culture and human rights from various US and Hong Kong organizations,and was selected several times into the “One Hundred Chinese Public Intellectuals”.
Ren wanding- graduated from Beijing Institute of Technology. Named "Father of the Chinese Human Rights Movement" by the United Nations 2012 Human Rights and Democracy Summit. 1994 won the "Robert Kennedy Human Rights Award". Currently living in Paris.