Series showing the terrible working conditions of stone masons in Mandaly, Myanmar.
The Stone Masons of Mandalay
Outside the Mahamuni Temple in Mandalay, Myanmar there is a whole street where stone masons can be found toiling away on stone statues of Buddha. The working conditions are truly atrocious, with little respect for the health of the workers or for the general environment. They slave away for up to twelve hours a day, taking home a few Kyat for their labours. Work is carried out without protective masks, protective gloves or any kind of dust extraction systems. It is extremely disturbing to witness these people, especially children, labouring in such circumstances – their faces sweating and caked with a crust of choking dust. The result of breathing in these dangerous concentrations of dust and toxic fumes will surely see these people suffering from lung diseases and other respiratory problems. An early death is almost certainly guaranteed . . .