All jade miners in Phakant in Kachin State , northern Burma have to contribute to the fund for Cyclone Nargis victims in the devastated Irrawaddy Delta in Southern Burma . The collection drive by the Burmese military junta authorities began a week after the cyclone on May 2 and 3, local sources said.

On the order of Burma Army's Military Strategic Command in Phakant, money is being collected directly by administrators and members of Villages and Phakant Township Peace and Development Council (Ya-ya-Ka and Ma-Ya-Ka), according to Phakant residents.

The authorities have forcibly collected two million Kyat (est. US $ 1,778) from owners of jade mines (small jade mining companies) whereas five million Kyat (est. US $ 4,444) have come from organizations' owning jade mines (big jade mining companies i.e. ceasefire groups and others), said company sources.

The junta authorities have not only collected 200,000 Kyat (est. US $ 178) from owners of all illegal jade mines operated by three or five people but also funds from all illegal gold miners in Phakant mining areas, jade dealers told KNG.

There are about 300 official jade companies and about 1,000 illegal jade and gold mines in Phakant, according to residents of Phakant.

However, the donors doubt whether the authorities have recorded the exact amounts donated and whether the funds have been directly sent to the cyclone victims, according to the jade companies.

In Kachin State , all Kachin ceasefire groups, all businessmen, all Christian denominations and civilians have donated directly or indirectly to the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Irrawaddy Delta, local sources said.

Burma 's Cyclone Nargis left an estimated 134,000 people dead or missing and over 2.5 million homeless, according to United Nations aid agencies.