WASHINGTON — Former Radio Free Asia (RFA) journalists Jim Snyder and Gemunu Amarasinghe have been named winners of this year’s Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Excellence in Journalism Awards. The duo’s project, “Fighting a Dictatorship, Building a Democracy: In the Jungles of Eastern Myanmar, Insurgents Fight the Junta and Dream of a New State,” supported by RFA’s Burma Service, Investigations and Multimedia teams, documents the creation of democratic institutions in an active war zone in Myanmar. He won the Award for Excellence in International Reporting.
“RFA journalists braved extraordinary conditions to bring us this insightful and powerful study of community resilience in war-torn Myanmar. » said Bay Fang, President and CEO of RFA. “Their multi-part project goes beyond battlefield statistics to show the personal impact of armed conflict – a story that would otherwise not see the light of day.
“As RFA rebuilds, this impactful series demonstrates the accurate, uncensored journalism our audiences expect from us. »
In their winning report, the duo trekked through Myanmar’s perilous jungle to reach conflict-ravaged Kayah State, where they spent three weeks interviewing dozens of residents, including health workers and insurgent fighters, all working to build a more stable community. The four-part series examines local efforts to install a lasting democratic system in Myanmar, build a reliable police force in Kayah state, and profile the doctors and nurses who treat rebel fighters in a secret jungle hospital.
RFA Burmese, along with other language services, resumed content production in late 2025. Since their return, their Facebook video views reached 12.7 million in April, with interactions increasing by 15%. The Service also launched a new podcast, “The Challenges of Burmese Youth,” which has attracted millions of listeners. In March, RFA Burmese released an exclusive video report on a town located in a high-conflict area of Sagaing that lacked sufficient shelter, leaving many residents vulnerable. Shortly after RFA’s report, the Government of National Unity donated additional shelters to residents, with local residents attributing this development to RFA.