Companies such as American e-commerce giant Amazon and retail chain Wal-Mart have been urged by activists to remove gems from Myanmar from their online sales platforms, which are the main source of revenue for the military government there.
This move by the militant group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) comes as the Indian jewelry company Vaibhav Global Limited deleted all online listings of gems from Myanmar, including jade, ruby, sapphire, topaz and amethyst, in response to JFM’s investigation. The company sells these gems on popular online platforms in the United States, including Amazon.com.
JFM also found that Internet retailer Overstock.com was selling Burmese gems online and advised the company on this issue.
Retailer’s “wake-up call”
“Vaibhav Global’s actions should also be a wake-up call to e-commerce giants Amazon, Overstock and Walmart,” said Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for JFM, adding that these companies “must take action to end their involvement in funding the Myanmar military’s atrocities. Trade.” “
She pointed out that although Vaibhav Global has withdrawn its list from the websites of major US retailers, other companies are still selling Burmese gems on their platforms.
fast Search invest Gems from Myanmar are also popular on eBay and are widely sold on regional websites such as Lazada, Shopee and JD, as well as Alibaba and AliExpress.
However, legally speaking, such relocation is voluntary in the United States.
Although the United States imposed sanctions on Myanmar gemstone companies controlled by the Myanmar military government (also blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department) and the military group Myanmar Economic Holdings (which controls jade mines in Kachin State and ruby and sapphire mines in Shan State), Washington has not yet imposed sanctions. It is forbidden to import gems from Myanmar. Such bans have been included in the Myanmar Act of 2021, which has now been submitted to Congress.
“Myanmar Justice urges members of Congress to stand with the people of Myanmar, pass the Myanmar bill as soon as possible, and ban the import of Myanmar gems,” Maung said.
The jade industry alone is estimated to be worth US$31 billion annually
The military has long dominated the jade industry in Myanmar and continues to make huge profits.
Although it is difficult to obtain exact data, non-profit organizations such as Global Witness estimate that the jade industry in Myanmar alone is as high as 31 billion U.S. dollars a year, describing it as “probably the largest natural resource robbery in modern history.” It pointed out that the Myanmar military and armed elites are the biggest profiteers in the industry, and that quarrying jade is “a terrible crime that poses a serious threat to Myanmar’s democracy and peace.”
Companies such as American e-commerce giant Amazon and retail chain Wal-Mart have been urged by activists to remove gems from Myanmar from their online sales platforms, which are the main source of revenue for the military government there. This move by the militant group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) comes as the Indian jewelry company Vaibhav Global Limited deleted all online listings of gems from Myanmar, including jade, ruby, sapphire, topaz and amethyst, in response to JFM’s investigation. The company sells these gems on popular online platforms in the United States, including Amazon.com. JFM also found…
Companies such as American e-commerce giant Amazon and retail chain Wal-Mart have been urged by activists to remove gems from Myanmar from their online sales platforms, which are the main source of revenue for the military government there.
This move by the militant group Justice for Myanmar (JFM) comes as the Indian jewelry company Vaibhav Global Limited deleted all online listings of gems from Myanmar, including jade, ruby, sapphire, topaz and amethyst, in response to JFM’s investigation. The company sells these gems on popular online platforms in the United States, including Amazon.com.
JFM also found that Internet retailer Overstock.com was selling Burmese gems online and advised the company on this issue.
Retailer’s “wake-up call”
“Vaibhav Global’s actions should also be a wake-up call to e-commerce giants Amazon, Overstock and Walmart,” said Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for JFM, adding that these companies “must take action to end their involvement in funding the Myanmar military’s atrocities. Trade.” “
She pointed out that although Vaibhav Global has withdrawn its list from the websites of major US retailers, other companies are still selling Burmese gems on their platforms.
fast Search invest Gems from Myanmar are also popular on eBay and are widely sold on regional websites such as Lazada, Shopee and JD, as well as Alibaba and AliExpress.
However, legally speaking, such relocation is voluntary in the United States.
Although the United States imposed sanctions on Myanmar gemstone companies controlled by the Myanmar military government (also blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury Department) and the military group Myanmar Economic Holdings (which controls jade mines in Kachin State and ruby and sapphire mines in Shan State), Washington has not yet imposed sanctions. It is forbidden to import gems from Myanmar. Such bans have been included in the Myanmar Act of 2021, which has now been submitted to Congress.
“Myanmar Justice urges members of Congress to stand with the people of Myanmar, pass the Myanmar bill as soon as possible, and ban the import of Myanmar gems,” Maung said.
The jade industry alone is estimated to be worth US$31 billion annually
The military has long dominated the jade industry in Myanmar and continues to make huge profits.
Although it is difficult to obtain exact data, non-profit organizations such as Global Witness estimate that the jade industry in Myanmar alone is as high as 31 billion U.S. dollars a year, describing it as “probably the largest natural resource robbery in modern history.” It pointed out that the Myanmar military and armed elites are the biggest profiteers in the industry, and that quarrying jade is “a terrible crime that poses a serious threat to Myanmar’s democracy and peace.”
