There has been a dramatic increase in use of heavy equipment to mine jade in Myanmar's Hpakant region, attributed to fears that the new reform government will crack down on mining activity. Not only does the mining industry face charges of corruption and exploitation of the labor force; recent criticism concerns environmental damage resulting in deadly landslides. Those tragedies have caused 114 known deaths although locales say 200 people went missing.
An article (link) from Myanmar quotes Hpakant elder Bran Sai: “The machinery is more powerful than ever. Previously backhoes had 300 horsepower engines at the most. Now they are 3,200 horsepower. There is also far more machinery. The slagheaps grow bigger and bigger. One of the worst things is the use of dynamite. The vibrations spread a long way. Every mine uses explosive. They want to extract as much jade as possible before the new government takes power."
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