Human rights group urges jewellers to ban Myanmar gems, says junta profiting from mining

Nearly a year after Myanmar's military - the Tatmadaw - deposed the country's civilian government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, human rights activists are urging major jewellers to stop buying gems sourced from the country to corner the Myanmar junta by limiting profits from the country’s lucrative mining industry.

A Global Witness report, released on Wednesday, outlined how the Tatmadaw is involved in gemstone mining despite a moratorium on new licences placed before the February 1 coup that ousted the Suu Kyi-led government. 

“There is no such thing as an ethically sourced Burmese ruby…These gemstones are sold as symbols of human connection and affection, yet the supply chain is steeped in corruption and horrific human rights abuses,” Clare Hammond, senior Myanmar campaigner at Global Witness, said in a statement.

It should be mentioned here that Myanmar’s gem industry is being targeted in the push for sanctions and legislation on the same is pending in the United States. The Burma Act of 2021 bill would cease all US imports of Myanmar gemstones.

Global firms boycott gems sourced from Burma

Notably, the Global Witness report comes a week after luxury jeweller Jarry Winston announced that it would not be purchasing gemstones with Burmese origins irrespective of the time of import. Similarly, Indian jewellery company Vaibhav Global said in November that it had removed all the listings of products such as Myanmar gems while the source was being investigated. Vaibhav Global’s products are mainly sold on E-commerce sites across the globe including Amazon, Overstock and Walmart. 

Additionally, Tiffany and Co continued to stop using Burmese gems after the US imposed sanctions on Myanmar were listed in 2016. In 2016, Myanmar was engulfed in political and economic reforms following several decades of military rule. Even Cartier Signet Jewelers - the owner of the Zales, Kay Jewelers and Jared chains, and Boodles have declared that they would not use Myanmar gems. 

Despite the move by major companies, the so-called Burmese “pigeon blood” rubies along with other gemstones are widely available on many sites for purchase, AP reported. Now, Global Witness and other such groups are calling on retailers of gems and jewellery to follow the suit and halt the buying as well as selling of such products. The report, published on Wednesday, described the jade and gemstone sector as one of the Myanmar military’s most important sources of funding.

It has now been 10 months since the Myanmar junta took over control and kept the civilian leaders under house arrest. Most recently, Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to two years in prison over charges of violating COVID-19 restrictions among others. 

(Image: AP)