.png)
IN THE NEWS: 1 year after the Trump administration’s funding cuts, critical journalists across Southeast Asia are left without protection.
- Manushya Foundation
- May 7
- 1 min read
In a Devex article by Rebecca L. Root, Manushya’s Founder & Executive Director Emilie Palamy Pradichit reveals how the cuts gutted life-saving protection systems for the growing number of repressed activists and citizen journalists.
“When the USAID funding cuts came in, it became a question of life or death. There were several activists, including citizen journalists, who we were not able to protect right away,” Emilie Palamy said.
At Manushya, the suspension of US funding forced nine safe houses to shut down, leaving endangered activists without protection.
Today, without this support, dissenting voices are at growing risk of enforced disappearance, exile, and assassination, such as Mr. Khaen, a Lao citizen journalist assassinated in February after Laos’ national elections.
Emilie Palamy added: “It’s the tragic reality of citizen journalists living in closed countries, that the price of telling the truth is that you may die at any moment.”
In Southeast Asia, repression does not stop at borders. Journalists, activists, and dissidents are forced into exile, tracked across countries, and punished for exposing state violence. For citizen journalists in closed countries like Laos, the price of truth can be disappearance or death.
🔗 Read the full article: https://www.devex.com/news/in-exile-and-at-risk-journalists-navigate-life-after-us-funding-cuts-112191.
#WeAreManushyan ♾️ Equal Human Beings
My younger brother showed me eggy car yesterday and now the whole family is competing for high scores. Funny concept but really fun gameplay.
Great post, lots of good points realtimevoice here that really got me transitchart thinking. It's clear you put some real effort into this and it shows. This is good tools;
The report highlights the devastating consequences that funding cuts can have on the safety and survival of journalists, activists, and human rights defenders across Southeast Asia. The closure of safe houses and the growing vulnerability of citizen journalists demonstrate how essential international support systems are in protecting freedom of expression and democratic values.
The article also sheds light on the harsh realities faced by individuals who risk their lives to expose injustice and state repression. Much like Paint Protection Film safeguards a vehicle from external damage and long-term deterioration, strong institutional protections and global solidarity are necessary to shield journalists and activists from threats, intimidation, and violence.
Ultimately, the piece serves as a powerful reminder that defending truth and human…