After it became famous as a gem land, Monghsu, a simple and peaceful town surrounded by creeks, valleys and mountains, also became vulnerable to predators.
Years before gems were discovered, Monghsu, 189 miles northeast of Shan State capital Taunggyi, eked out a livelihood by farming and doing agriculture. They had a clean and cool creek called Nam Nga flowing silently through the town, serving people in many ways such as providing clean drinking water, for agricultural use, watering plants and fields as most of the people were farmers and peasants. They lived their lives very simply. There was no greediness, craftiness, thieves, robbers and drug addicts, recalled a local 61 year old man.
“Most people in the township were happy as farmers. Day after day, we worked in our own job. Some worked in their farms from morning to evening,” a young resident Kaw Kaw wrote in “Candles in the Dark,” a book published by Noble nominees Charm Tong’s School for Shan State Nationalities Youth (SSSNY).
The creek was mostly crowded in the morning and evening when people were busy fetching up drinking water, taking baths, women washing clothes, children swimming and playing in the stream. But now it has turned dirty, and worse, no one can use it any longer, not even for drinking or washing.
Discovery of the gem land
On 21 February 1989, a huge fire broke out in Monghsu and destroyed all houses around the town.
“We had to seek refuge in the jungle as all houses were destroyed. We had no food, no clothes and no shelter,” Kaw Kaw recalled.
Both the rich and the poor had lost all their worldly assets. In order to relieve their sufferings some went out to search for food while others went out to search for gems hoping luck would dawn on them.
Villagers got plenty of them, but the problem was they didn’t know the value and the quality of what they got. Most gems were found on a mountain, Loi Hseng, where ethnic Palaungs live, some two hours walk from the town.
They exchanged some of the gems for food, others as presents to visitors, some of whom bought them at cheap prices. They thought at that time that real gems could only be found in Mogok area.
“People did not take seriously to the names of our villages given wisely by their ancestors like Nammaw Hseng (Well of Gems), southeast of the town, Ho Hseng (Head of Gems) and Kawng Hseng (Gem Hill),” said the old man, remembering the words of a Shan gem digger from Pailin, Cambodia, in 1979: “If your village name contains the word gem, it is almost certain gems are around.”
In 1991, thousands of outsiders started to move into the area to start mining. Most were Mogok teak traders Aung Thein and Yaw Zet’s men. People kept coming to the area until the number of outsiders exceeded the local population two to three times. Before, the total population of the township was just over 42,000.
“Our town became crowded after the gem information leaked out,” the old man said, “It was because of Captain Myint Hlaing (now Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing, chief of air defense) who had taken the gems he had seized from the villagers to Mogok for test.”
The local villagers found the way to live their lives easier by hiring their lands to outsiders. Some started to trade and open shops and restaurants on the mountain.
Meanwhile, outsiders were instructed to apply for temporary permit cards four times a year from the regional commander Maung Bo. There were over 200,000 outsiders above 18 years old holding the cards.
“It was just the number on the mountain, not including those staying in the town,” he commented.
From bad to worse
In 1992, all the mining areas were controlled by the local Burmese authorities. Hundreds of acres of lands were confiscated. Companies or groups that wanted access to mines must apply for concession from the local authorities.
By and by, huge investors and armed organizations that had concluded ceasefire agreements with the Burma Army like the Shan State Army, Kokang, Wa, Mongla, Pa-O, Palaung and Kachin Defense Army (KDA) were swarming all over the place. Among those were Chinese businessmen.
People who could not afford huge amounts of investments or those who did not belong to an armed group had to work as manual labourers.
“The areas eventually fell into the hands of the Burmese military and big businessmen. Before that, it was a first come, first serve system,” the old man said.
Owing to the diversity of rival armed groups in the area, and cut-throat competition, lives were dangerous, and arms were also in high demand. No mine-owners or traders wanted to declare their earnings officially. People carried huge amounts of cash instead and accordingly needed arms to protect themselves, according to a SHAN report in September 1994.
“Both the military and armed groups bought weapons from the proceeds,” Kaw Kaw said.
There were over 50 companies, at least 600 to 5,000 labourers working in each. As the population increased, many kinds of side-industries, such as trade in opium and heroin, gambling and prostitution flourished. The spread of AIDS become rampant, as a result.
The area also became a dangerous zone as people kept digging deeper and deeper.
On 3 July 2005, thousands of people especially workers died of landslide after heavy rain and led to the collapse of a number of excavations. At least 3 of the pits, #270, #298 and #325, each more than 100ft deep, had given way to the downpour.
“There were at least 2,000-3,000 laborers working underground,” said the old man. “But official reports put the number of deaths at only a hundred plus.”
At present, businessmen have stopped their jobs and investments there as most gems seem to have gone. On the other hand, gems had become unmarketable as western countries stopped buying jewelry from Burma. Only about 30 per cent of demand remains.
There remain only some 30,000 people both from the mountain and the town and about 10 companies as their contracts are yet to expire.
“Another reason is there is a need for more investments as commodity prices are getting expensive like even a piece of bamboo is now Kyat 2,000($ 1.8). Before it was just only Kyat 500($ 0.45),” the old man added.
Last year, there were over 4,000 workers who went jobless. But they were supported one Pyi (3.3 liters) of rice with Kyat 1,500($ 1.4) for each man and Kyat 1,000 ($ 0.90 ) with one Pyi (3.3 liters) of rice for each woman by U Aung Ko Win, a businessman close to the junta’s #2 man Gen Maung Aye.
“He had to retain them as his contract would automatically expire if he could show no proof that he’s still working there,” he said.
Now jobs are scarce not only for outsiders but also for the locals as they have nothing left to do when their farms and lands were destroyed by gem diggers. Holes were left behind and the soil became dry as trees were cut down for use in the gem mines during the booming years. Their environment also becomes barren.
The creek which they used to depend on became useless because of all unclean things like rotten bodies and chemical things that were thrown into it.
In the end, there is little to show that the gem discovery has improved the lives or the locals.
The latest news is that most of the area would from now on be controlled by the Chinese companies.
“The gems are still there,” the old man concluded. “As it goes deeper, the quality is found to be even better
