Reviving a Jaded Peace Process: Why Natural Resources Must be a Top Priority in Efforts to End Conflict in Kachin State

Jul 6, 2016 | Mike Davis
View Original

Delivering peace in Myanmar is the top priority of the country’s first democratically elected government in over 60 years. A close analysis of the recent spike in fighting in northern Kachin State shows that won’t be possible unless those at the table tackle the role of natural resources, particularly jade, in fuelling conflict.

Jade production in 2014 was worth up to US$31 billion, equivalent to nearly half of the entire country’s GDP. Almost all the jade comes from Kachin State, but the local population sees practically no benefits. At the same time, Kachin is the scene of the country’s most serious armed conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced over 100,000 more. This is not a co-incidence. While there are certainly other factors driving the violence, Global Witness research has shown that jade provides both sides – the Tatmadaw and the Kachin Independence Organisation/Army (KIO/KIA) – with incentives and financing to carry on fighting.