Pop megastar Rihanna received for her performance during Sunday鈥檚 NFL Superbowl Halftime Show, but it was what she was wearing during the performance that has led to outcry from those opposed to Myanmar鈥檚 brutal military junta.
The activist group 鈥淛ustice for Myanmar鈥 called out Rihanna in a Twitter thread yesterday noting that the popstar had been wearing a Burmese ruby ring worth $1 million from New York City鈥檚 Bayco Jewels, which sells a number of pieces prominently featuring gems from Myanmar.
The activist group argues 鈥淢yanmar gems fund junta atrocities鈥 and calls for a ban on their trade.
According to Bayco, the ring Rihanna was wearing features 鈥渁 rare natural, unheated 19.47-carat sugarloaf cabochon Burma Ruby鈥.
While Myanmar has been mired in economic turmoil ever since the military overthrew the civilian government in February 2021 鈥 due to economic sanctions, widespread worker strikes and internal military conflicts with anti-junta forces 鈥 one of the ways . Myanmar is one of the top sources of precious stones in the world and is particularly well known for the quality of its rubies.
A report released by human rights watchdog Global Witness in December 2021 detailed how that were likely sourced from mines in the military-ruled country.
鈥淭here is no such thing as an ethically sourced Burmese ruby,鈥 Clare Hammond, senior Myanmar campaigner at Global Witness, said in a statement. 鈥淭hese gemstones are sold as symbols of human connection and affection, yet the supply chain is steeped in corruption and horrific human rights abuses.鈥
Although the U.S. has , legislation that would ban their import completely has not been passed and many .
Rihanna is clearly aware of what鈥檚 happening in Myanmar. She was widely praised in February 2021 for this tweet raising awareness about the then-recent coup.
As Justice for Myanmar notes in their thread, Rihanna鈥檚 fellow artists have been prominent among the victims of the junta鈥檚 violence, which .
Justice for Myanmar ends their thread with a call for Rihanna to stand with the people of Myanmar by boycotting Myanmar gems and calling for a ban on their trade.
