Myanmar junta arrests hundreds of jade traders in Mandalay on Tuesday (Dec 21)

Filepic - A merchant examines a jade stone displayed at the Gems Emporium in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Nov. 13, 2018. Human rights activists are lobbying major jewelers to stop buying gems sourced in Myanmar as a way to exert pressure on Myanmar’s military leaders by limiting profits from the country’s lucrative mining industry. - AP

YANGON, Dec 21 (AFP): Myanmar authorities have arrested hundreds of jade traders working at emporiums that compete against a junta-backed market in Mandalay, traders told AFP on Tuesday.

Taxes on the shady, multi-billion dollar jade industry are a major source of revenue for Myanmar's military and help fund rights abuses, advocacy groups say.