World Wide Opposition To The Burmese Gem Boycott Builds

An article by Jutarat Tongpiam that was released through Agence France in March, details why the Burmese gem boycott, which Jewelers of America and CRJP strongly advocate, is not an appropriate course of action. ~ Marc

“Jewellers associations from around the world plan to meet in Switzerland next month to draft a letter calling on the United States not to ban all sales of Myanmar gems,” said Vichai Assarasakron, President of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Association.

Tongiam writes, “Thai traders agree with the goal of promoting democracy in Myanmar, but they say the ban would hurt the 400,000 people in Myanmar who depend on gem mining and trading to earn a living,”

Though the article does acknowledge human rights violations in Burmese mines, it also points out demand for the rubies remains strong and enforcement is very difficult.

Quoting further from the piece, “The junta might have an amount of gems for its auction sales. But, a greater amount of rubies remain in the hands of ordinary people in Myanmar who need to trade gems for their living…

Those stones slip into Myanmar’s vast black market, which economists estimate is larger than the formal economy. (my bold) With scant border controls between Myanmar and Thailand, small-scale miners can slip across the border to sell their stones, bypassing regulations.

If Tongiam’s research is accurate, it provides further evidence that the Burmese boycott hurts the artisanal miners more than anyone else.

Here is the link to the original article.

http://www.haaba.com/news/2008/03/15/7-106063/

This subject has been written about extensively, in previous posts: Here are those previous links:

Laura Bush, “Blood Rubies” and the Export Economy of Burma.

Edward Boehm, VP of International Colored Gemstones Against The Burmese Ruby Boycott

The Burmese Ruby Boycott: Who Does It Really Hurt? Who does It Really Help?

A Scholarly Article on the Mining Sector In Burma

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