Myanmar to restrict jade mining in northernmost state: official

The Myanmar authorities will restrict jade mining in mining area in Lonekhin and Hpakant mining block areas in northernmost Kachin state, Minister of Resources and Natural Environment Conservation U Ohn Win told the House of Nationalities (Upper House) on Wednesday.

No more new mining blocks for jade and other natural resources will be granted and production of them will be restricted, he said.

Once the by-laws of the enacted Gems Law are introduced, limited number of mining blocks of various sizes will be permitted to operate company-wise, he added.

In the latest incident, a total of 13 people were killed and four injured due to a collapse of land waste from jade mine in Hpakant at the weekend.

In November, some 121 people died in the landslide out of dump soil collapse which occurred in the Hpakant mining area.

Following the deadly landslide in Hpakant, the authorities relocated 108 migrant miners living in risky areas to safer sites.

Last year also witnessed occurrence of nine similar incidents in the same area . When miners began using heavy machinery to extract jade from mines in Myanmar in 2005, migrant workers across the country flew into the area to scavenge small jade stones from discarded mine soil.

There are around 200,000 squatters in Hpakant Township.

According to official figures till Nov. 30, 2015, 627 mining companies have been allowed to mine on 7,714 plots, while another 231 companies are mining through a win-win business system on 311 plots.

Mining areas constitute a total of area of more than 9,134 hectares in the township.

As of 2000, the government has practiced a production-sharing system with mining companies, gaining 25-percent income from the sales apart from tax.

(APD)