Myanmar: Charity Points to Myanmar Jade Mine Abuses

Jun 9, 2020 | Matt Blomberg, Australian Associated Press
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Caterpillar Inc, Komatsu Ltd and Volvo AB - leading providers of machinery to Myanmar's jade mines - have done little to address warnings about rampant abuses in the multibillion-dollar industry they supply, a Swedish charity says. Stockholm-based Swedwatch, which focuses on business activities in developing countries, said the three firms still dominate the machinery market in Hpakant, a mining township in the restive Kachin state that supplies 90 per cent of the world's jade. Myanmar's poorly regulated jade mines help finance a long-running conflict between the army and armed ethnic groups, and the report said the industry contributed to land degradation, water pollution and landslides that kill hundreds of people each year.