Back to Business as Usual in Myanmar’s Jade Mines?

Nov 28, 2018 | Hanna Hindstrom
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For over two decades, the world-famous jade mines in Hpakant in Kachin State have been associated with the horrors of Tatmadaw rule and civil war: military-linked entities looting resources from ethnic minority areas, poverty, and environmental devastation. The jade industry has also been linked to endemic drug use, smuggling, corruption and other illicit activities including informal taxation by armed groups, and armed conflict leading to widespread human rights abuses against local communities.

When Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy government announced a suspension of gemstone permits in 2016, there was cause for optimism that the conflict and corruption-tainted sector would be reformed and would begin to contribute to the country and Kachin State’s development.

Now, a new, deeply problematic gemstone law is expected to be passed in the current session of parliament, suggesting it could soon be back to business as usual in Myanmar’s jade mines. The latest, publicly available draft of the law does not address the deep-seated problems in the jade industry. If it is passed in its current form, licensing will soon be able to restart and a crucial opportunity for reform will be lost.