Jade smuggling sustains armed networks in Myanmar

The trade in jade from northern Myanmar is providing revenue to armed groups as the country's civil war continues, according to accounts from miners, drivers and analysts. Stones from the Hpakant region are carried towards buyers in China through routes that cross contested territory.

A former mine worker described driving valuable stones along jungle roads and paying fees at checkpoints controlled by different armed forces. His account illustrates how the trade can fund whoever controls a transport route, rather than moving only through official markets and auctions.

Fighting has changed control of mining areas and access for small-scale miners. The military and the Kachin Independence Army have both held territory linked to the industry. Drivers described delays during clashes and risks from mines, shelling and air strikes.

The region's open-pit mines also carry environmental and safety costs, with unstable spoil heaps and repeated deadly landslides. Demand for high-quality jade links those local risks to a wider market. The report draws on individual accounts and analysis; it does not establish that every buyer or shipment follows the same route or finances the same armed group.