Boycott buying blood-Jade from Burma: Campaigners
http://www.mizzima.com/news/world/6-world/860-boycott-buying-blood-jade-from-burma-campaigners
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But how can Burma’s blood jade retain its beauty in our eyes when we know what has gone into it and that jade profits are propping up, probably even arming, the junta?”
Cristina C. Moon, 8-8-08 for Burma
Mungpi
Monday, 04 August 2008
New Delhi – In order to avoid contributing to the human suffering of Burmese mine workers, a new report urges global consumers, visitors to China, as well as Olympic spectators and athletes, to boycott buying what is called ‘blood Jade’ from Burma.
Two activist groups – the All Kachin Students and Youths Union (AKSYU) and 8-8-08 for Burma – in a new report describe Burma’s Jade as being bathed in the blood of mine workers, whose rights are abused, land is confiscated and who are subject to forced labor.
The new report, entitled ‘Blood Jade,’ states that Burmese Jadeites are increasing in demand as the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic draws nearer, with the Chinese government reportedly promoting the sale of souvenirs made of Jadeite.
“[M]any if not most of the Jade products on the general market [in China] are from the abuse-ridden Jadeite industry in Burma and profit Burma’s brutal military regime,” the report expounds.
Burmese Jadeite is a global business predicated on human suffering and the absence of the rule of law, and is controlled with an iron grip by Burma’s military regime, says the report, adding that Jadeite exports annually earn the Burmese junta millions of dollars.
The 8-8-08 for Burma group cautions that while Jadeite is beautiful to look at, it costs the lives of many Burmese people, particularly in northern Kachin state, where major Jade mines are located.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But how can Burma’s blood Jade retain its beauty in our eyes when we know what has gone into it and that Jade profits are propping up, probably even arming, the junta?,” Cristina Moon, executive director of 8-8-08 for Burma asks.
AKSYU, the group that conducted the research for the report, urges people not to buy Jade from Kachin state as it provides millions of dollars in profit to the Burmese military government, while violating the rights of the local population.
Discovery of Jadeite in Kachin state dates from as early as 1788. Originally mined by the local Kachin population, they were later joined by other ethnic groups including the Burman, as well as ethnic Chinese-owned companies in cooperation with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), an armed resistance organization that actively fought the government until 1994.
But following a ceasefire agreement with the KIO in 1994, Burma’s military regime passed what is known as the ‘Myanmar Gemstone Law,’ which purportedly intended to curb the illegal smuggling of gemstones – rubies, sapphires, emeralds, Jadeite, diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems.
Though there has been a significant impact on smuggling, the real result of the law is that it pushed private mining companies out of the industry as the government made it mandatory to obtain costly permits for mining.
“[S]mall, independently owned companies without ties to the regime and their close associates are effectively barred from obtaining mining permits,” the report contends.
According to the report, approximately 30 joint venture companies are currently involved in mining Jadeite, while several local people who had earlier owned private mining companies have become mere laborers.
As the Burmese government’s figures on any export related industry are unreliable, it is difficult to obtain accurate figures as to the profit that the ruling generals derive from exporting Jadeite. However, Cristina Moon from the 8-8-08 for Burma group told Mizzima the Jade-trade is one of the regime’s largest sources of foreign income.
“We’re talking about millions of dollars in hard cash to the junta per year, even up to hundreds of millions,” Moon elaborated.
China insists the Jade that it plans to include in its Olympic medals is from Qinghai province in China. However, with Burma’s ‘Imperial Green’ Jade the only source of gem-quality Jade in the world, campaigners believe that a variety of Burmese Jade is being sold as souvenirs in the open market in China.
“We believe there are a variety of souvenirs on the market, such as carvings and statues. Expensive jewelry made of Burmese Jade is also ubiquitous in China,” Moon continued.
She added that souvenirs made of Burmese Jade are inseparable from human misery. It is not only a cause of atrocities in and around the mines in Kachin state, but the gem industry also gives the junta a great deal of foreign currency, of which Jade makes up a large part.
“People should boycott Burma’s blood Jade just like they have conscientiously chosen not to buy conflict diamonds from places like Sierra Leone, Angola, and the DRC,” Moon added.
http://www.mizzima.com/news/world/6-world/860-boycott-buying-blood-jade-from-burma-campaigners
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But how can Burma’s blood jade retain its beauty in our eyes when we know what has gone into it and that jade profits are propping up, probably even arming, the junta?”
Cristina C. Moon, 8-8-08 for Burma
Mungpi
Monday, 04 August 2008
New Delhi – In order to avoid contributing to the human suffering of Burmese mine workers, a new report urges global consumers, visitors to China, as well as Olympic spectators and athletes, to boycott buying what is called ‘blood Jade’ from Burma.
Two activist groups – the All Kachin Students and Youths Union (AKSYU) and 8-8-08 for Burma – in a new report describe Burma’s Jade as being bathed in the blood of mine workers, whose rights are abused, land is confiscated and who are subject to forced labor.
The new report, entitled ‘Blood Jade,’ states that Burmese Jadeites are increasing in demand as the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic draws nearer, with the Chinese government reportedly promoting the sale of souvenirs made of Jadeite.
“[M]any if not most of the Jade products on the general market [in China] are from the abuse-ridden Jadeite industry in Burma and profit Burma’s brutal military regime,” the report expounds.
Burmese Jadeite is a global business predicated on human suffering and the absence of the rule of law, and is controlled with an iron grip by Burma’s military regime, says the report, adding that Jadeite exports annually earn the Burmese junta millions of dollars.
The 8-8-08 for Burma group cautions that while Jadeite is beautiful to look at, it costs the lives of many Burmese people, particularly in northern Kachin state, where major Jade mines are located.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But how can Burma’s blood Jade retain its beauty in our eyes when we know what has gone into it and that Jade profits are propping up, probably even arming, the junta?,” Cristina Moon, executive director of 8-8-08 for Burma asks.
AKSYU, the group that conducted the research for the report, urges people not to buy Jade from Kachin state as it provides millions of dollars in profit to the Burmese military government, while violating the rights of the local population.
Discovery of Jadeite in Kachin state dates from as early as 1788. Originally mined by the local Kachin population, they were later joined by other ethnic groups including the Burman, as well as ethnic Chinese-owned companies in cooperation with the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), an armed resistance organization that actively fought the government until 1994.
But following a ceasefire agreement with the KIO in 1994, Burma’s military regime passed what is known as the ‘Myanmar Gemstone Law,’ which purportedly intended to curb the illegal smuggling of gemstones – rubies, sapphires, emeralds, Jadeite, diamonds, pearls, and other precious gems.
Though there has been a significant impact on smuggling, the real result of the law is that it pushed private mining companies out of the industry as the government made it mandatory to obtain costly permits for mining.
“[S]mall, independently owned companies without ties to the regime and their close associates are effectively barred from obtaining mining permits,” the report contends.
According to the report, approximately 30 joint venture companies are currently involved in mining Jadeite, while several local people who had earlier owned private mining companies have become mere laborers.
As the Burmese government’s figures on any export related industry are unreliable, it is difficult to obtain accurate figures as to the profit that the ruling generals derive from exporting Jadeite. However, Cristina Moon from the 8-8-08 for Burma group told Mizzima the Jade-trade is one of the regime’s largest sources of foreign income.
“We’re talking about millions of dollars in hard cash to the junta per year, even up to hundreds of millions,” Moon elaborated.
China insists the Jade that it plans to include in its Olympic medals is from Qinghai province in China. However, with Burma’s ‘Imperial Green’ Jade the only source of gem-quality Jade in the world, campaigners believe that a variety of Burmese Jade is being sold as souvenirs in the open market in China.
“We believe there are a variety of souvenirs on the market, such as carvings and statues. Expensive jewelry made of Burmese Jade is also ubiquitous in China,” Moon continued.
She added that souvenirs made of Burmese Jade are inseparable from human misery. It is not only a cause of atrocities in and around the mines in Kachin state, but the gem industry also gives the junta a great deal of foreign currency, of which Jade makes up a large part.
“People should boycott Burma’s blood Jade just like they have conscientiously chosen not to buy conflict diamonds from places like Sierra Leone, Angola, and the DRC,” Moon added.
Burma Day in San Francisco on 8888 Anniversary
Aug 4th, 2008
Published on August 5, 2008
THIS week, the United Nations Human Rights Council will send a special rapporteur, Tomas Ojea Quintana, to seek improvements on the human rights situation in Burma. One might expect that Than Shwe’s military junta will make concessions on human rights in the lead-up to Quintana’s trip – instead, the exact opposite has happened, as human rights abuses have increased. The mission, the latest in dozens of failed trips to Burma by UN envoys and rapporteurs, is off to a bad start even before it has begun.
Instead of making substantive moves on human rights, over the past two months Than Shwe’s junta has ramped up its repression of the Burmese people. Just days ago, Burmese troops re-energised their scorched-earth campaign against ethnic minorities in eastern Burma, forcing hundreds of innocent villagers to flee their homes as refugees and internally displaced persons.
On July 31, the junta announced its intention to sentence to jail Burma’s most famous comedian and social activist, Zarganar, along with the country’s leading sports reporter. Less than two months ago, the junta locked up many members of the National League for Democracy, the political party of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi.
On July 21, student political activist Khin Maung Tint died behind bars in Burma’s notorious prison gulag, in the midst of serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Meanwhile, on July 25 the junta sentenced 10 Muslim student activists to prison with hard labour for participating in the September 2007 Buddhist-monk led pro-democracy uprising.
No doubt, the junta will try to obscure these moves during Quintana’s visit. If previous behaviour is any guide, the generals will make a series of promises to change that will subsequently be broken when Quintana leaves the country.
The regime will hope for positive comments by Quintana after his trip – statements they will use to show they are making “progress” when in reality there are no lasting changes whatsoever.
If the junta is feeling generous, they may even release a few political prisoners whom they deem to be unthreatening to their grip on power.
Instead of looking toward genuine change, the junta sees visits by UN envoys as an exercise in public relations, hoping the envoys will publicly thank the regime for allowing them to visit and thereby diminishing hopes for actual change. That a trip happened at all is cited as “progress” by some countries in the UN who seek to preserve the status quo.
This pattern of obfuscation has been carried on successfully by the military junta for many years. Sadly, it has enabled Than Shwe to commit massive, widespread, systematic atrocities that could someday land him in the International Criminal Court.
Among other abuses Than Shwe has destroyed twice as many villages as in Darfur, Sudan – forcing millions of innocent villagers to flee as refugees and internally displaced persons.
He has recruited more child soldiers than any other country in the world, also a crime against humanity.
Further, his troops have carried out a policy of using rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minority women, and he has locked up nearly 2,000 political prisoners.
Before many more people are senselessly imprisoned or killed in Burma, we hope that Quintana delivers a strong message to Than Shwe, demanding the immediate release of all political prisoners in the country.
While in Burma, we hope Quintana meets with key leaders including Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Su Su Nway, and Zarganar.
Second, Quintana should call on the military regime to immediately end all attacks on ethnic minorities in the country. That Than Shwe has got away with these attacks for so many years is not only devastating to my country’s ethnic peoples, it sets a terrible precedent for the rest of the world.
Lastly, Quintana should make it clear to Than Shwe that change must come immediately. If this junta attempts to draw the envoy into a protracted game of cat and mouse on human rights implementation, he must seek much stronger action from the Human Rights Council and UN Security Council. The time for stalling on human rights is over.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/08/05/opinion/opinion_30079742.php
