Who Really Profits From Myanmar's Gems?

Long regarded as one of the world’s worst dicatorships, the military junta finally stepped down from power in 2011. However three years on, its people continue to fight for freedom. The military remains in charge and shares its profits with the ruby lords of the world’s largest deposits of these gems. We explore the country’s ruby mines, and how the Burmese miners dream of one day finding fortunes among these stones. We also meet the Palaung rebels, many of whom have never held a rifle before, fighting the Myanmarese army in order to achieve greater autonomy for themselves and destroy poppy fields providing the heroin that is destroying their community. The country is rife with religious extremism, violence and islamophobia. Known as the ’Myanmarese Bin Laden’, extremist Buddhist monk Wira Thu has plenty plenty to say about the small Muslim minority he is determined to chase out of Myanmar. This documentary was produced by Dreamway Productions and directed by Charles Haquet & Bertrand Bolzinger. It was first released in 2014. ------ We have the stories that global corporations don't want you to know. Our channel is home to award-winning investigations, current affairs and revealing documentaries that challenge unchecked global powers and give you the real, human stories behind the headlines. Want to understand more about our world? Want to delve beyond news headlines and understand global issues more deeply? Subscribe to DISPATCH for all this and more. Make sure to hit notifications to never miss a new release!