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Myanmar - The wispering Land, page 2 Change – Facade or Reality Since my last visit to Yangon a decade ago, there have been changes. Streets in the ramshackle capital have been paved and cleaned, lessening the huge plumes of dust that once kicked up around Shwedagon Pagoda, the infinitely beautiful ancient landmark. Markets around the city appeared bustling and, to a degree, looked well-stocked. French restaurants with crisply ironed linens, magnificent teak furniture and uniformed waitresses have cropped up, serving French fusion cuisine. To the casual tourist (and many pour in, staying at luxurious government-owned hotels throughout the country), it would appear Myanmar is on the upswing. But critics suggest this is a facade that hides government-sponsored corruption and oppression. Tourists can’t see Suu Kyi’s sealed compound, nor do they witness reported mass relocation of citizens, the “disappearance” without trial of protesters or the children reportedly enlisted as soldiers to confront ethnic armies in northern Myanmar. What they do see are ubiquitous slogans the regime devised to keep its population at attention, including:
•“Oppose those trying to jeopardize the stability of the State and progress of the nation.” •“Oppose foreign nationals interfering in internal affairs of the State.” •“Crush all internal and external destructive elements as the common enemy.” This may be why Suu Kyi’s infrequent messages resonate so deeply with the people of Myanmar and why the walls that continue to keep her prisoner have not been effective in obscuring her vision. “Our country will not prosper through constructing an imaginary world,” she said in 2003. “Drifting will not benefit our country. But … we must always have hope. There is a difference between having hope and dreaming. It is not wrong to have hope, but you have to work toward achieving that hope. Just sitting down and dreaming will not do … Our vision is that we will have genuine and a full measure of democracy and the full measure of human rights for which we will struggle on. A fantasy world is not what we want and that is not what we are building.” If Suu Kyi’s vision were to transpire, Myanmar’s people would not have to lurk in the shadows. Nor would they feel compelled to whisper their despair to the outside world. Sidebar – by Peggy Jo Donahue Buying Burmese Gems: Customs Makes It Legal In December 2004, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, which enforces a U.S. ban on products from Myanmar, ruled that gems mined in Myanmar undergo “substantial transformation” when they are cut and polished in other countries and, therefore, are considered products of the country where they were cut. Thus, jewelers can still legally buy rubies, sapphires, jadeite or spinels that originate in Myanmar but are cut elsewhere – as most are. However, at least one major jeweler – Tiffany & Co. – has continued its ban on buying gems originating in Myanmar. “Mining of these gems supports the existing Burmese regime,” says Michael Kowalski, chairman and CEO of Tiffany. “We support democratic reforms and an end to human rights abuses in that country. We believe our customers would agree with that position.” Jeweler Brian Leber of Western Springs, IL, a longtime supporter of human rights causes in Myanmar, says he also will continue to follow the spirit of the U.S. ban, despite the “substantial transformation” ruling. “Our business will continue to refuse to buy any goods of Burmese origin,” he says. “The two main grading criteria to determine value for colored gems – color and clarity – are a direct result of geological conditions of the stones’ place of origin and remain unchanged by a third-party country’s cutting.” Leber also points out that country of origin plays a significant role in a gem’s pedigree, especially with Burmese ruby and sapphire. “Any item whose identity is so strongly tied to its source, despite any cutting or refiguring, has not undergone ‘substantial transformation.’” Memories of Burma ICA travelers to Myanmar share photos and opinions The International Colored Gemstone Association took a gem tour to Myanmar (formerly Burma) in February and early March. Richard Hughes led the tour, composed of 15 people from Canada, Belarus, Germany, France, Greece and the United States.... |
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© copyright of Article and Images by Robert Weldon, Except where noted.
Titel Photos captions: 1. Burmese ruby 7.18-ct. gem from Mogok, 2. Wisps of fog and smoke lie low in the early morning at the archaeological wonder of Bagan, where temples date to the 9th century. |
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© Created by ICA Gem Bureau Idar-Oberstein |
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