TRANSCRIPT:
VOA is the cheapest way to advance the United States’ public diplomacy with the minimum budget. It is also a shining light for the people around the world who has no freedom of press.
Hello everyone, my name is Zaw Win Hlaing. I am from VOA Burmese Service. I came here to the United States 30 years ago hoping that the United States, which stands for democracy and human rights, will help me advance my life, my future and the American dream.
The United States is such a welcoming country. I feel very warm. Before I came here, I was a refugee at the India border. When I came to the United States, it gave me a hope to continue to live my life like everybody else, not as a refugee. That’s why I thank the United States very much.
Now we are having a critical time for the VOA because we have been put on administrative leave by the Trump administration. VOA stands for freedom of press and human rights and democracy. The United States stands for those basic human rights, and shutting down VOA is not the way to do it. In fact, quite the opposite. We need to get VOA back on air, and we need to get it back soon.
Published
Hlaing has been working at VOA for more than 20 years, covering both international and Burmese domestic news. Before becoming a broadcaster, he was a regular listener of VOA. He believes that fact-based media like VOA is hugely important in societies where false news stories are prevalent across social media platforms and news outlets.