Gandhi from the Phakant-based Kun Foundation said that a “yaymasay” or waste jade picker was killed by a warning shot fired by the police force as jade pickers entered a waste earth dump site before the stipulated time.

Phakant Constituency MP Tint Soe said that this incident occurred on October 8 and the wounded person was taken to Phakant hospital by the Kun Foundation. He died at about midnight the same day.

“This incident occurred at Chaung Brothers Company jade mine worksite and a warning shot was fired which hit a miner and he was in critical condition. And then he died at hospital while taking treatment,” Lower House MP Tint Soe said.

Yaymasay jade miners are allowed to search for jade starting from 5 p.m.

Gandhi from Kun Foundation said, “They are allowed to search but they forcibly entered the jade mine site before the stipulated time. And then they had a quarrel with security forces guarding the jade mine and I heard that a warning shot hit a miner while they were forcibly entering the worksite.”

About 4-5 police personnel were guarding the worksite when this incident occurred.

Gandhi said the police may have had to fire as they were seriously outnumbered.

Fighting and quarrels between yaymasay jade miners and security forces happen frequently in Phakant, Kachin State. In addition, there have been a number of cases of people killed in landslides at the mines.  

The police were not available for comment.