Mongabay’s Global and Indonesia news bureaus each received honorable mention awards at the 2026 Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards, one of the region’s most established journalism competitions recognizing excellence in reporting across Asia-Pacific.
Representing Mongabay at the June awards ceremony in Hong Kong were Sapariah Saturi, Managing Editor for Mongabay Indonesia, and Yenni Kwok, Mongabay Contributing Editor for Asia-Pacific.
Mongabay Global received an honorable mention in the regional category of Excellence in Reporting on the Environment for “Armed groups and junta profit as toxic mines devour southern Myanmar,” reported by Dawei Watch and edited by Isabel Esterman, Mongabay Managing Editor for Southeast Asia. The investigation examined the environmental and social consequences of mining activities in southern Myanmar amid ongoing political instability and conflict.
In recognizing the reporting, SOPA judges highlighted both the challenges of reporting in Myanmar and the broader significance of the investigation: “This investigation – done in a dangerous country where impunity is the norm – demonstrates the power of environmental reporting to cause change, empower local communities and shine light on the start of international supply chains. The brave journalists and sharp editors who worked on this piece showed great courage, skill and tenacity to bring an important issue to a global audience.”
Mongabay Indonesia received its honorable mention in the Bahasa language category for “Sisi Gelap Hilirisasi Nikel Indonesia: Krisis Lingkungan dan Ancaman bagi Masyarakat Adat di Halmahera” (“The Dark Side of Indonesia’s Nickel Downstreaming: Environmental and Indigenous Crisis in Halmahera”), reported by contributors Irfan Maulana, Rabul Sawal and Achmad Rizki Muazam and edited by Mongabay Indonesia Manager Editor Sapariah Saturi.
The reporting explored the environmental impacts of nickel development in Halmahera and the consequences for Indigenous and local communities living alongside industrial expansion.
Judges praised the reporting team’s work and its contribution to public understanding of the issue. “The three articles are the meticulous and brave works of those involved in producing them to inform the public about the problems on the ground, open the eyes of local people being exploited and abused by greedy corporations and abandoned by the government in easy-to-read journalistic endeavors.”
Impact
SOPA honorable mentions recognize reporting that brings attention to environmental and social issues affecting communities in Myanmar and Indonesia, while highlighting the challenges of documenting environmental impacts in contexts shaped by conflict, industrial development and governance pressures.
The judges’ comments underscore the value of rigorous environmental journalism in making complex issues accessible to broader audiences and elevating stories that might otherwise receive limited international attention. In both cases, the recognition highlights reporting that connected local experiences to larger environmental, economic and political systems.
The awards also reinforce Mongabay’s role in supporting journalists and editors working across the Asia-Pacific region to produce independent reporting on environmental issues, Indigenous rights and resource governance. Recognition from a regional journalism organization such as SOPA helps extend the visibility of these stories and the communities they cover.
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Banner image: Yenni Kwok, Mongabay Contributing Editor for Asia-Pacific and Sapariah Saturi, Mongabay Indonesia Managing Editor, represent the organization during the SOPA 2026 awards in Hong Kong.