Burma: Gem Trade Bolsters Military Regime, Fuels Atrocities

Source: Human Rights Watch via Reuters

China, Thailand, the United States, and other countries should completely block the purchase of gems from Burma that help finance military abuses there, Human Rights Watch said today. The group issued its call for targeted sanctions on Burma's gem business ahead of the opening of a major gem auction in Rangoon this week. "Burma's rubies and jade are prized for their beauty but the ugly truth is that the trade in these stones supports human rights abuses," said Arvind Ganesan, director of the Business and Human Rights Program at Human Rights Watch. "The sale of these gems gives Burma's military rulers quick cash to stay in power."

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