Myanmar’s military government sold 600 lots of gems and jade at a recent auction, state media said Sunday, earning foreign income for the military government as it faces increasing effect from economic sanctions.

Despite calls from governments human-rights groups for a boycott of the sale after acrackdown on protests last year, about 280 foreigners attended the sale, the New Light of Myanmar paper said.

The government newspaper did not state how much the five-day auction earned, but a similar sale last November took about $150 million.

About 1,600 lots of gems and jade were up for auction, another sale is scheduled for March, the New Light of Myanmar paper also said.

Posted: 01|20|08 at 11:59 am. Filed under: Auction News.