Author(s): Daniel Combs

History

In Myanmar, where civil war, repressive government, and the $30 billion-a-year jade industry have shaped life for decades, everyone is searching for their own version of the truth . . .

Bum Tsit has a problem. In Myanmar's far north, he is caught between the insurgent army his family supports and the business and military leaders his career depends on. It forces him to confront Myanmar's biggest, most painful secret: the connection between the jade industry and the longest-running war in the world. Now, he must choose a side.

Phoe Wa lives in a very different Myanmar. He is a young migrant who has come to Yangon, the country's biggest city, to pursue his dream of being a photojournalist. At a time when the government is jailing reporters and nationalist voices are on the rise, he believes that he has a responsibility to educate the public about his country's problems.

Until the World Shatters weaves Phoe Wa and Bum Tsit's stories of dramatic revelation to present the definitive portrait of Myanmar's politics and people in an era where public trust has disappeared. It also introduces us to the monks, punks, refugees, and disillusioned youth, all fighting for their vision of the country's future--and in many cases, simply for survival.

This is the first in-depth piece of reportage about the largest natural resource heist in Asia and its massive destabilization of the country as a whole, taking us deeper into Myanmar's world of secret-keepers and truth-tellers than ever before.