RFA CANTONESE SERVICE OPENS TOLL-FREE HOTLINE

Radio Free Asia (RFA) has opened a toll-free hotline in Cantonese for callers in Greater China, available weekdays from 10:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. (China time). RFA also takes toll-free calls from listeners inside China in the Mandarin, Tibetan and Uyghur languages.

In the last month, all RFA hotlines have received hundreds of calls dealing with SARS, the deadly virus that has sickened thousands and killed hundreds worldwide. Callers are welcome to raise any subject, however.

RFA's Cantonese service hotline is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 p.m.- 12:30 a.m. (China time).

The toll-free telephone numbers are: from Hong Kong: (+852) 8199 - 0452 and Skype call @ rfa.cantonese.service

RFA's Mandarin service hotlines are open Monday through Friday, 8:00-11:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 9:00-10:00 p.m. (China time). The toll-free telephone number (from mainland China only) is: 10810-888-275-7655.

RFA's Uyghur service hotline is open Monday through Friday, 8:45-9:45 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 7:00 p.m.-11:00 p.m. (China time). The toll- free telephone number is (from inside China): 10810, then 877-898-2246.

The Tibetan service hotline is open Monday through Friday, 9:45-11:00 p.m. The toll-free telephone number is: 10810, then 877-898-2246.

To listen to RFA call-in as well as other programs, visit www.rfa.org

RFA broadcasts news and information to Asian listeners who lack regular access to full and balanced reporting in their domestic media. Through its broadcasts and call-in programs, RFA aims to fill a critical gap in the lives of people across Asia. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in 1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean, Lao, Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo and Kham) and Uyghur.

It adheres to the highest standards of journalism and aims to exemplify accuracy, balance and fairness in its editorial content. #####