torsdag 17. desember 2015

Chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new Myanmar government


Using heavy earth-excavators and explosives, miners have been tearing into Myanmar's northern hills in recent months, in a rush to excavate more jade from the world's richest deposits of the gemstone before a new government takes office next year. Acres of forest have been felled, leaving behind craters, barren cliffs and a web of dirt tracks in the once-picturesque Kachin hills as the Chinese firms that dominate the jade business step up mining and aggressively seek new concessions. They are anticipating the multi-billion dollar industry could change once Aung San Suu Kyi's election-winning National League for Democracy (NLD) party takes office with a promise of clean governance, those in the trade say. Read more