Children, Slaves Mine Burmese Rubies for International Sale

Diamonds aren't the only brilliant gems made dull by forced labor, violence, and human rights abuses. In Burma, rare and expensive rubies are mined by slaves and children, and their sale is used to finance human rights violations and war crimes by the notorious military government. But you can ask the UN to investigate slavery and child labor in the Burmese ruby industry.

Burmese rubies are like none other in the world in their color, clarity, and beauty. And the degree of violence and abuse with which human beings are forced to tear them from the ground is unique as well. The Burmese military, which owns the vast majority of the ruby mines, forces very young children to work brutal days in the mines. The children are used to reach the deepest, smallest, and most dangerous pits. Adults who mine for the military are often paid less than $5 a month. Their constant exposure to mining conditions causes their skin to begin peeling off after several years, but many have no choice but to keep working. Burmese ruby mining may be one of the harshest and most exploitative industries in the world.

Because of these documented abuses and because the proceeds from the ruby industry fund human rights violations against the Burmese people, the U.S. and E.U. have embargoed Burmese rubies and jade since 2008. But the embargo is all but meaningless, since the ruby business is able to flourish with buyers from Asia, including China, India, Thailand, and Singapore. In fact, the ruby trade is so lucrative, rubies and jade together are Burma's third largest export. And those rubies don't stay in Asia; some of them end up in finished products shipped to the U.S. and Europe, labeled as Thai or Chinese.

As long as the Burmese ruby industry is lucrative, the military government will enslave men, women, and children to mine those rubies. And as long as there are willing buyers, the Burmese ruby industry will thrive. There needs to be no place on the market for conflict gems which support human rights abuses or war, or which are mined with forced or child labor.

The UN can play an important role in fight against forced labor, child labor, and slavery in Burma by first investigating the extent of these practices in different industries and then pressuring member states to decline trading in products which abuse people or fund human rights abuses.  Please, take one minute to encourage the UN to act.

Photo credit: cliff1066