Guwahati: Mizoram journalists HC Vanlalruata and Isaac Zoramsanga have become the first from the Northeastern state of India to be part of an International Emmy Award-winning team.
They significantly contributed to BBC World’s “Myanmar’s Civil War”, a compelling documentary that secured the Emmy for Outstanding Continuing News Coverage in Short Form.
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Following the achievement, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on his official social media handle X (formerly Twitter) extended his hearty congratulations to the journalists, calling it a “historic moment” for the state.
“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 posted on Thursday.
Reports indicate that both Vanlalruata and Zoramsanga served as producers on the BBC project, providing crucial on-ground reporting support. Their award citation highlights their efforts during a 10-day assignment in Chin State, western Myanmar, a region that shares a border with India. Their work enabled the BBC team to gain access to rare conflict zones where ethnic resistance groups are actively pushing back against Myanmar’s military junta, fighting for control of the region.
Sharing details of their Emmy-winning work with a news agency, Vanlalruata revealed that a five-member BBC team, including himself and Zoramsanga, traveled to Chin State in 2024. The team spent eight days gathering inputs from the ground for the documentary.
“In 2024, we went to Myanmar’s Chin state and interviewed the revolutionary groups the Chin National Army (CNA) was training at Camp Victoria,” Vanlalruata recounted.
He explained that Camp Victoria, the CNA’s headquarters, is located approximately 7-8 km from the Indian border.
The team even spent a night at Camp Victoria before visiting a village the Myanmar military had bombed and was rebuilding.
The 6.5-minute documentary captures the escalating conflict, showing how rebel groups have successfully driven the junta out of several regions. It also exposes chilling accounts of torture, abduction, and killings employed by the junta to crush dissent and deter young people from joining the resistance.
The Emmy Awards’ official X account announced the win: “The Emmys for Outstanding Continuing News Coverage – Short Form goes to Myanmar’s Civil War (BBCWorld).”
Notably, the civil war in Myanmar erupted in February 2021 following a military coup by the Tatmadaw, which overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi under unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud. This coup ignited widespread protests, met with brutal crackdowns, which then escalated into armed resistance by pro-democracy groups and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) like the Arakan Army.
Mizoram shares a 500-kilometer border with Myanmar, and communities on both sides have deep cultural and ethnic ties. This close connection has led to significant implications for Mizoram, including a large influx of refugees. In a notable event in March this year, key Myanmar rebel groups even signed a merger pact in Mizoram’s capital, Aizawl, with Chief Minister Lalduhoma present.