Children barely big enough to swirl the heavy slurry toil alongside men and women, doing backbreaking work that exposes them to toxic mercury. Every few minutes, they pause and tilt their dripping pans to catch the sunlight, hoping for the glint from a few golden flecks that haven't been scooped up with the rest of Myanmar's vast mineral wealth by the ruling generals and their cronies... Some of the world's biggest names in precious stones, such as Cartier [part of Richemont], Bulgari and Tiffany, say they won't sell Myanmar's blood-tainted treasures anymore... The trade in gemstones, the country's third-largest source of revenue, is dominated by the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd., a consortium co-owned by the Defense Ministry and military officers...