Two Mizoram journalists part of BBC team that won Emmy for Myanmar docu

Two journalists from Mizoram became the first from the northeastern state to be part of a team that won an International Emmy Award for a BBC documentary on Myanmar's civil war. HC Vanlalruata and Isaac Zoramsanga, contributed to BBC World's coverage titled Myanmar's Civil War, which received the Emmy for Outstanding Continuing News Coverage in Short Form category. Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma congratulated the duo on the "historic moment" and praised their "dedication and courage in reporting" from the conflict zone, ravaged by the years-long civil war.

Vanlalruata told India Today Digital that the BBC team of five members, including the two from Mizoram, went to Chin state of Myanmar in 2024, and it took a total of eight days for them to gather the inputs from the ground.

"I congratulate HC Vanlalruata and Isaac Zoramsanga for their historic achievement as the first from Mizoram to be part of a team that won an International Emmy Award. Your dedication and courage in reporting Myanmar's Civil War make Mizoram proud," Lalduhoma wrote on X on Thursday.

Both Vanlalruata and Zoramsanga worked as producers on the BBC project, according to the citation of the award.

They provided crucial on-ground reporting support during a 10-day assignment in Chin State, western Myanmar, which shares a border with India. Their efforts enabled the BBC team to access rare conflict zones where ethnic resistance groups have been pushing back against Myanmar's military junta and continue to fight for control of the region.

"The official X account of the Emmys announced the award saying, "The Emmys for Outstanding Continuing News Coverage - Short Form goes to Myanmar's Civil War (BBCWorld)," posted The Emmys on Thursday.

BBC TEAM WENT TO REBEL HEADQUARTERS, BOMBED VILLAGE IN MYANMAR

The 6.5-minute documentary captures how rebel groups have driven the junta out of several regions, while also exposing chilling accounts of torture, abduction, and killings used by the junta to crush dissent and deter young people from joining the resistance.

"We went to Chin state of Myanmar in 2024 and interviewed the revolutionary groups being trained by the Chin National Army (CNA) at Camp Victoria," HC Vanlalruata told India Today Digital.

Camp Victoria is the HQ of the CNA and is around 7-8km from the India border, explained Vanlalruata.

It was a team of five from BBC India, including Vanlalruata and Zoramsanga, that travelled to Myanmar.

"We stayed at Camp Victoria for a night then went to a village that had been bombed by the Myanmar military and was being rebuilt," said Vanlalruata.

He said it took the team altogether eight days to gather the inputs for the BBC documentary.

"It is difficult to put into words how thrilled we are. I am overjoyed to see my name on the Emmy list," Isaac Zoramsanga told Meghalaya-based NortheastNews.

Vanlalruata also said that the Emmy news was unexpected.

The civil war in Myanmar began in February 2021 when the military, known as the Tatmadaw, staged a coup, overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi by claiming electoral fraud in the 2020 elections without substantial evidence.

This coup sparked widespread protests, which were met with brutal military crackdowns, escalating into armed resistance by pro-democracy groups and Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) like the Arakan Army, which is based in the Rakhine state.

Communities in Mizoram, which shares a 500-kilometre border with Myanmar, have cultural and ethnic ties with those across the international border. In March this year, key Myanmar rebel groups signed a merger pact in Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, in the presence of Chief Minister Lalduhoma.

The armed resistance has gained strength in Myanmar, capturing key towns like Paletwa in Chin State, and challenging the junta's control, particularly in border regions. The ongoing civil war has intensified, with the junta facing significant pressure but retaining control over major urban centres, while the resistance continues to expand its influence in rural and India-bordering areas.

- Ends