U myint lwin law office is one of the law firms in myanmar with a well established reputation in the area of intellectual property law including trademark. Hpakant, the hotbed of myanmars jade mining industry, which continues to be plagued by earthgouging machinery, suffered 7 landslides in 2015, the most deadly of which killed over 100 people after the discarded waste soil collapsed. Myanmar s big state secret the biggest natural resources heist in modern history. Revenues from official myanmar jade exports declined in the first nine months of fiscal 201516, as the profitable industry continues to draw fire safety, ethics and environmental concerns. Myanmar s big state secret 5 the sums involved in what one industry representative calls the governments big state secret are staggering. In the past few years, government liberalization of the mining and trading sectors has brought renewed vigor to the quest for jade. On 24 february 2015, the competition law was enacted in myanmar. Myanmar s army known as the tatmadaw also holds official stakes in the jade sector, primarily through its companies myanma economic holdings limited and myanmar economic corporation. Miners search for jade stones at a mine dump at a hpakant jade mine in kachin state, myanmar november 25, 2015. Until now the jade sectors worth has been almost impossible to determine. Myanmar government announces groundbreaking reforms of. In addition, myanmar jade is also found in japan, part of the former soviet union, central america, and california. Jade weak basis for chinamyanmar trade global times. China has a huge market and advanced processing technology while the us and europe cannot directly buy myanmar jade under existing sanctions.
Since the mid18th century, jade was imported from burma now myanmar, and became the most popular form of jade in china. Mergers and acquisitions in myanmar contact now add to contact list. Jade a global witness investigation into myanmars big state secret 1. Introduction over the past several years, the mergersandacquisitions market in india has been very active. The partners have worked with both preeminent law firms and local banks and as such, have extensive experience in servicing foreign companies, agencies and individuals who have been keen to.
Myanmar s big state secret 35 at big myanmar gems emporium events, companies typically sell rough stones that are cut to display their quality. Uncovering myanmars jade trade center for strategic and. Impacts of heavy mining machinery employed in myanmars jade mining area. Of myanmar, has sent a message of felicitations to his majesty king harald v of. Myanmars multibillion dollar jade trade contributing to ethnic armed. Global witnesss short film jade and the generals, filmed by minzayar oo, is released today.
Jadeite in myanmar is primarily found in the jade tract located in lonkin township in kachin state in northern myanmar which encompasses the alluvial region of the uyu river between the 25th and 26th parallels. Response to burma act passage in us house of representatives. Using heavy earthexcavators and explosives, miners have been tearing into myanmars nor. Human rights council the economic interests of the myanmar. Myanmars aung san suu kyi to hold cabinet role in new. Myanmars big state secret this report would not have been possible without the many organisations and individuals who have contributed their time, knowledge and expertise. News myanmar elites profit from corrupt jade industry, study claims.
Government official shuts down two jademining companies. Mergers and acquisitions in india mergers and acquisitions as we know imply alliance of two or more companies future. Makabin is a typical jade village, with an alluvial, jadebearing conglomerate being worked. The trade flourishes in shan state, a poppy heartland adjacent to kachin state. There are thirteen chapters for covering all business including such as trade and services. Myanmar is one of southeast asias most natural resourcerich countries. A conversation with nishant choudhary, deputy managing director at regional law firm dfdl legal and tax services, on key issues on merger control in myanmar. As myanmar gears up for national peace talks, our new film reveals how the jade riches of kachin state are helping to incentivise and fuel deadly armed conflict. Although mined for decades, it has the look of a brandnew village. The meaning of land in myanmar transnational institute. Mergers and acquisitions advisory services myanmar tcf.
With the exception of myanmar, the reforms have yielded impressive results, but the process is far from complete. Hpakant jade mines, or the population of myanmar as a whole. Where a merger leads to formation of a new company, acquisition leads to purchase of a company by other and no new company is formed. The objectives of the competition law of myanmar are. That is equivalent to nearly half the gdp for the whole of myanmar, but hardly any of the money is. Myanmar elites profit from corrupt jade industry, study. Hpakant jade stone estimated at 50 tons february 24, 2014 by thiha yangon a massive jade stone recently discovered near a village in kachin states hpakant region is believed to weigh about 50 tons, though with half the rock yet to be unearthed, its exact mass remains unknown. Insight chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new myanmar government. Sanctions have hampered myanmars gem market myanmar.
In february 2014, global witness sent information requests to companies that were awarded onshore oil and gas blocks in myanmar in october 20 asking for the names of the individuals who are at the top of their ownership chains, and details of any owners with highlevel political connections. Best business future mergers and acquisitions in india. Handpickers and traders smoke opium, shoot heroin and take yaba or methamphetamines at a home. That is equivalent to nearly half the gdp for the whole of myanmar, but hardly any of the money is reaching ordinary. Its natural resources include gems, jade, industrial minerals, logs, oil and natural gas. Yangon, myanmar, 17 may 2017 myanmars massive jade business is. Natural resource exports accounted for 70percent of national exports, or about 11percent of gdp in2012, with natural gas. Excitement grips uswe have finally entered jade country. Cocacola admits link to local jade company the myanmar. Global witness welcomes groundbreaking unauthorized report calling for international sanctions against myanmar military businesses. At least 27 feared dead in myanmar jade mine landslide arab news. Merging and acquiring a business is also known as a take over mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring represent an important aspect of the corporate finance world. Cocacola admits link to local jade company in 2015 global witness brought to our attention information regarding a director of cocacola pinya beverages myanmar ccpbm, daw shwe cynn, who is also a shareholder of pinya manufacturing, said the firms responsible investment in myanmar 2015 update, published yesterday. Kubba and tsa ji will discuss global witnesss recent report, jade.
Insight chinese jade miners in overdrive ahead of new. Global witness has released a report into the jade business in myanmar that, for the first time, reveals the scale of the industry and details how it is controlled by the military elites. Never before seen footage and interviews reveal the fear and destruction wrought by the powerful elites who came to control the multibillion dollar mines during the days of military dictatorship. A journey to burmas jade mines ganoksin jewelry making. The actual color and texture of the jade stems from the metal element s. Smalltime prospectors above search for jade in the rubble dumped by mining companies in hpakant township. In this enlightening book, a group of leading scholars outline the continuing reform efforts needed to survive the current global recession and place these economies in a competitive position on the recovery of the world economy. Global witness, a nongovernmental organisation, estimated the. Myanmars big state secret, which revealed that myanmars jade production in 2014 alone was worth up. The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. The dark shadow of myanmars jade trade financial times. Burma is the worlds secondlargest producer of opium, the sap of poppies and heroins key ingredient. A key witness in a longrunning dispute between two mining companies over a large lump of jade has gone missing, parliament has been told.
Myanmar legal eminence mle was founded in early 2015 by three myanmar lawyers. Myanmar must end attacks on media after release of reuters journalists. Nephrite consists of a microcrystalline interlocking. According to estimates by global witness, myanmars jade production was worth up. Jade trade in myanmar thrives on exploitation, rights abuses. These sanctions created a black market for gems and devalued the. Myanmars new government has announced a major shake up to licensing of its multibillion dollar jade and gems business, following work by global witness, kachin development networking group kdng, the natural resource governance institute nrgi and other kachin state and myanmar civil society actors and parliamentarians to expose widespread abuses at the heart of a vast, deeply. Why jade mining is burmas road to heroin hell the star. Myanmar government halts operations at kachin state jade mines. Jade a global witness investigation into myanmars big. Myanmars big state secret claims that companies connected to than shwes family made more than. However, the political turmoil and international sanctions the country has undergone in the previous 50 years has hampered myanmars potential in the international gem market.
At present myanmars jade mining industry is dangerous and rife with. The chief minister of northwestern myanmars sagaing region on wednesday ordered the temporary shutdown of two companies found to be illegally mining for jade on state forest property, a. Myanmars big state secret the biggest natural resources heist in modern history. Meanwhile, very few revenues reach the people of kachin state, the site of the. Global witnesss mike davis speaks about what needs to be done and.
Jewellery made from jade mined in hpakant on sale in china. In particular, the percentage of crossborder transactions has risen significantly. Foreign investment in myanmar remains positive despite a slowdown over the last year following the transition to a civilian led government. The impact of globalization on economic development in myanmar. The csis chair for southeast asia studies is pleased to host a roundtable discussion with juman kubba, campaigner for myanmar with global witness, and tsa ji, general secretary of the kachin development network group. However, based on new research and analysis, global witness estimates that the value of official. An anticorruption group has found ties between wealthy families and the countrys lucrative jade trade. Crossborder deals have taken the form of both inbound and outbound transactions. Global witness issues report on myanmars big state. International brands are abiding with sanction not to buy gems from myanmar. Yangon, myanmar mergers and acquisitions lawyers and law.
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