Myanmar attempts to stop migrant jade miners
| Publisher | Radio Free Asia |
| Publication Date | 15 August 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Asia, Myanmar attempts to stop migrant jade miners, 15 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57d8fd5c21.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
2016-08-15
Scavengers dig for raw jade stones in piles of waste rubble next to a jade mine in Hpakant, northeastern Myanmar's Kachin state, Oct. 4, 2015. AFP
A top government official vowed on Monday to keep migrant workers out of Myanmar's jade mine sites where they often scavenge for the valuable gem in the dangerous slag-heaps and other tailings left by big, licensed mining operations.
Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister Ohn Win said the government plans to start checking the entrances to the mining areas for illegal migrant workers in an effort to stop the scavengers.
"We will stop them by checking entrances into the area," he said in answer to a question posed by Kyaw Ni Naing, a member of parliament from Myanmar's upper house.
While he promised more robust government action, Ohn Win acknowledged the difficulty presented by the task.
"We send illegal migrant workers who came to this area to find raw jade back to their villages," he said. "We can't stop them systematically. We still have many migrant workers there."
The lure of green
Drawn by the promise of riches, migrant workers toil in the dangerous environment around the jade mines in Hpakant Township, in northern Myanmar's Kachin State.
While Ohn Win said the government has sent 4,000 migrant workers home between 2013-2015, estimates for the number of migrants working in Hpakant run as high as 300,000.
Hpakant, which lies about 400 miles (640 kms) north of Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, is the center of the country's jade mining industry and produces some of the highest-quality jade in the world
Much of the gem is exported or smuggled to neighboring China, where demand for the precious stone is high.
While large-scale, licensed mining operations take the lion's share of the ore, there is enough jade in the tailings that a scavenger can earn $300 per month or more – a large paycheck by regional standards.
Tough conditions
Living conditions in the remote, mountainous area are tough and most workers share simple shacks set up in dirty camps in the shadow of the pits and tailings.
Addiction to drugs such as heroin and opium, is common a hazard, and death often comes from cave-ins, landslides and other disasters.
In May a pair of mining disasters killed and injured at least 58 people, and another 70 people went missing in another disaster.
About 100 people were killed in a landslide in November 2015, and 40 people were killed in a similar accident in January.
In July, the government suspended the renewal of expiring jade mining permits and will only consider issuing new permits once by-laws to the Myanmar Gemstones Law have been passed.
While that could idle some of the licensed operations, companies can continue to dig until their licenses expire, and it will take until 2021 before the thousands of permits across the country come up for renewal, according to local press reports.
Reported and translated by RFA's Myanmar Service. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
Link to original story on RFA website
