Burmese Gems Auction Takings Drop

Source: Irrawaddy News

More than 2,000 foreign merchants attended Burma's major gems auction, state-media reported on Tuesday, despite international calls to boycott the sale after the military junta's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in September.

The auction ended Monday after more than 3,500 lots of precious stones were sold, the New Light of Myanmar said, but did not report how much money was made.

The amount of money was not revealed because it was much lower than in previous years, said an official at the state-run Myanmar Gem Enterprise on condition of anonymity for fear of official reprisal.

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