This photo taken on November 25, 2016 shows gems being displayed at the gem market in Mogok, north of Mandalay.Myanmar produces more than 80 percent of the worlds rubies, yet decades of isolation under the former military junta means the industry remains cloaked in mystery. / AFP PHOTO / Ye Aung THU / TO GO WITH Myanmar-mining-rubies-corruption-trade,FEATURE by Hla-Hla HTAY
MOGOK (Myanmar): Every week Aye Min Htun prays he will find the ruby that changes his life, one of thousands of people scratching a living in Myanmar’s mines set to gain little from the end of US sanctions on the military-dominated industry.
For centuries emperors, kings and warlords have vied for control over the valley of Mogok, north of Mandalay, once known as the “land of rubies” for its extraordinary treasure trove of jewels.
