Oct 24, 2015 jade a global witness investigation into myanmars big state secret 1. Jade can be worth up to millions of dollars per kilogram. Global witness s short film jade and the generals, filmed by minzayar oo, is released today. Jade from burmas rapacious mines was long banned by. Myanmar s kachin state, where the worlds richest jade mines are located, is on chinas.
That is equivalent to nearly half the gdp for the whole of myanmar, but hardly any of the money is. Myanmar is so closely identified with natural resources such as jade, rubies and teak that its name is a brand in itself. Unsustainable, corrupt, illegal and mired in intense. Myanmars big state secret,1 exposing the outsized role of mynamars former military commanders and cronies in the trade and the massive tax evasion and widespread irregularities. Impacts of heavy mining machinery employed in myanmars jade mining. According to estimates by global witness, myanmars jade.
Human rights council the economic interests of the myanmar wko. This figure equates to up to 48 per cent of myanmar s official gdp the jade business is also a significant driver of myanmar s most intractable armed conflict, which pits the central government against the kachin independence army. Smalltime prospectors above search for jade in the rubble dumped by mining companies in hpakant township. To put it in perspective, this figure equates to 48% of myanmar s official gdp and 46 times government expenditure on health. Global witness welcomes groundbreaking unauthorized report calling for international sanctions against myanmar military businesses. Myanmars many tariffs include a 20 per cent valuebased tax on jade at mine sites and 10 per cent on sales at government jade sales, but global witness estimates the state received less than us. Although the mining industry has acquired outsized importance in myanmar, its official economic contribution remains underwhelming.
The csis chair for southeast asia studies is pleased to host a roundtable discussion with juman kubba, campaigner for myanmar with global witness, and tsa ji, general secretary of the kachin development network group. As the country prepares for a landmark national peace conference on 24 may, jade and the. Handpickers and traders smoke opium, shoot heroin and take yaba or methamphetamines at a home in hpakant. Myanmar must end attacks on media after release of reuters journalists. Myanmars big state secret this report would not have been possible without the many organisations and individuals who have contributed their time, knowledge and expertise. Myanmars big state secret, which revealed that myanmars jade production in 2014 alone was worth up. Han is an ethnic kokang chinese who grew up attending international schools in yangon and whom i met a decade earlier while playing sports at one of the local. Global witness said that an openly and equitably managed jade mining industry could greatly benefit the ethnic kachin people and help drive development across myanmar, but instead, the people. Department of state trafficking in persons report, jade and precious gems are mined with forced labor in burma. The main market for jade is in china, where it has traditionally been highly valued and associated with royalty. Addressing tax evasion in myanmar s jade and gemstone industry introduction myanmar s mineral wealth is slipping through its citizens fingers. However, based on new research and analysis, global witness estimates that the value of official. Jade and the generals trailer global witness youtube.
Until now the jade sectors worth has been almost impossible to determine. Myanmar s big state secret the sums involved in what one industry representative calls the governments big state secret are staggering. But so far its people have not benefited from the brand. Probably the most genuine myanmar jade market to buy the rough jadeite jade for this is in mandalay. Response to burma act passage in us house of representatives. Myanmars multibillion dollar jade trade contributing to ethnic armed. However, based on new research and analysis, global witness estimates that the value of. Evidence from myanmar volume 71 issue 2 darin christensen, mai nguyen, renard sexton skip to main content accessibility help we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. The conflict resource economy and pathways to peace in burma. Oct 22, 2015 global witness has released a report into the jade business in myanmar that, for the first time, reveals the scale of the industry and details how it is controlled by the military elites. Jan, 2016 a key witness in a longrunning dispute between two mining companies over a large lump of jade has gone missing, parliament has been told. Dear secretary countryman, global witness welcomes the opportunity to provide comments on the commissions proposed rule implementing section 1504 ofthe doddfrank wall street reform and consumer protection act.
There is two extra years worth of additional data, as well as more detailed information made available by the myanmar gems enterprise mge. The jade business is a significant driver of myanmars most intractable armed conflict, which pits the central government against the kachin. Introduction natural resource governance institute. Most minerals have a higher ratio of extraction costs to value. As myanmar gears up for national peace talks, our new film reveals how the jade riches of kachin state are helping to incentivise and fuel deadly armed conflict. Global witness issues report on myanmars big state secret. May 15, 2017 as myanmar gears up for landmark national peace talks this new global witness film reveals how the countrys massive jade business is helping to drive deadly armed conflict. Oct 31, 2015 the global witness report alleges the majority of the jade trade profits are linked to a select few. Oct 23, 2015 a 12month investigation has revealed myanmars secretive. Never before seen footage and interviews reveal the fear and destruction wrought by the powerful elites who came to control the multibillion dollar mines during the days of military dictatorship. The country accounts for more than 90 percent of global jade supply, and is a leading source for highquality rubies, sapphires and other varieties of colored gemstone. As the country prepares for a landmark national peace. Exjuntas like former military ruler general than shwe earn money from the trade.
The greenhued gemstone fuels an industry that is estimated to be worth billions. China, global witness, hpakant, jade mine landslide, myanmar jade, nilar myint, victims in burmas wildest corner, jade, drugs and rebels will test the new government. Jade a global witness investigation into myanmars big state. May 24, 2016 at least people have died in a landslide in a remote jade mining region of northern myanmar and many more are missing, officials say, in the latest deadly accident to hit the shadowy but. However, a tax scheme focusing mainly on the best grades might allow unlucky producers to remain in business. Because mandalay is the first place the green stone is delivered in myanmar beside of the bulk which is shipped and smuggled over the border into china via muse. In 2014, jade worth usd 31 billion or nearly half of myanmars gdp was produced in myanmar from its governmentcontrolled areas of hpakant township and kachin state. Myanmar s big state secret the biggest natural resources heist in modern history. Myanmar elites profit from corrupt jade industry, study. Elliott prassefreeman draft lots of reckless speculation in here. Chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new myanmar government.
Kachin civilians witnessed a handful of top kio and. In october 2015 global witness published a report called jade. In support of international efforts to combat corruption in resourcerich countries, global witness and. Elliott prasse freeman draft lots of reckless speculation.
Human rights council the economic interests of the myanmar. The ngo, global witness, has used corporate data to investigate corruption in myanmars jade industry see box and moneylaundering associated with panamanian companies and the trump ocean club. An anticorruption group has found ties between wealthy families and the countrys lucrative jade trade. Using geocoded data on conflict and jade mines, the authors find evidence for this. We continue to push for transparency and improved governance in the gemstone, in land reform, and we support local partners engaged in myanmar s extractive industries transparency initiative, a global effort to clean up the worlds oil, gas. Yangon, myanmar, 17 may 2017 myanmars massive jade business is helping to drive deadly armed conflict and threatens the peace efforts that daw aung sang suu kyi has made her governments top priority, a new film from ngo global witness shows today. The jade business is worth far more than previously thought. Film reveals how myanmar s multibillion dollar jade trade is contributing to ethnic armed conflict and why natural resources must be a focus of peace talks. Uncovering myanmars jade trade center for strategic and. New jade mine disaster claims at least in myanmar. Yet, negligible share of it had reached the state treasury. Myanmar maneuvers how to break politicalcriminal alliances in contexts of. In an interview, paul donowitz of global witness told the diplomat that both the.
We replicate the method used by global witness to estimate the total value of jade produced in 2014, proceeding step by step in order to understand what the data tells us and what is unclear. Kubba and tsa ji will discuss global witnesss recent report, jade. Of course, penalties for avoiding kia taxation can be violent. That is equivalent to nearly half the gdp for the whole of myanmar, but hardly any of the money is reaching ordinary. Myanmar s big state secret which examined the workings and control structures of the countrys secretive jade business. Kyaw myo aung, 17, rests in his tent at a jade mine.
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