"Analysis: Myanmar’s gemstone riches bring poverty and environmental destruction" 25 April 2022

• Myanmar is endowed with rich reserves of jade, rubies and other gemstones, but endemic corruption and poor regulation mean little wealth has flowed to ordinary citizens.
• The jade-mining hotspot of Hpakant, in Kachin state, is emblematic of the problem: There are currently no licensed mines in the area, but jade extraction nonetheless continues at a massive scale.
• The speed and size of these poorly regulated operations results in both massive environmental damage and human casualties, as scavengers flock to unstable dumpsites to hunt for jade left behind by machines.

On Feb. 28, a landslide of earth and waste from mines in Myanmar’s Hpakant township engulfed dozens of miners and scavengers looking for jade in this remote, mountainous region. Official sources claim just two deaths resulted from the landslide, but residents and aid workers said at least 23 people were killed and 80 missing.

The fatal landslide earlier this year is just the latest in a series of deadly disasters in Hpakant, where no mining has occurred legally since 2020: at least three people were killed in a December 2021 landslide, while a 2020 landslide claimed 162 lives and another in 2015 killed 113. [...]

“No jade mining license has been granted. But some people continue mining,” said another miner, also speaking on condition of anonymity. “Now, there are only Tatmadaw [Myanmar Armed Forces] and KIA. The mining continues under informal agreement, meaning you can continue if you have an understanding with them. Illegal mining was not fully regulated before. But now, illegal mining has become worse.”

Regardless of the specifics of their arrangement, companies have a limited period during which they can mine. As a result, they move as fast as they can, excavating mountainsides with heavy machinery, carving out massive man-made valleys and discarding the waste into huge piles. The speed and scale at which companies operate not only causes environmental damage, but also means that even high-quality gems may be missed, making these mining dumpsites a tempting target for scavengers. [...]