The two events -- a series of talks and an ethics discussion workshop -- were organised by Mark Jackson (Geographical Sciences), Jakob Vinther (Life Sciences), and Skylar Lindsay (Geographical Sciences), and took place in the Life Sciences building of the University of Bristol.
Kachin amber, one of the key case studies of the AMBER project, is of mid-Cretaceous age and features unique inclusions that have drawn much attention from palaeontologists and palaeobiologists from across the world. Yet Kachin amber is extracted amidst a long-running civil war, and its export (mainly to China) has been shown to violate laws on both sides of the border. Kachin amber’s use in scientific research has thus become deeply contentious, with some calling for a moratorium on research and publication on the subject.
In the course of the two days, Laur and Alessandro shared some of their experiences working on the Kachin and the Chinese side of the border, and engaged in conversations around the scientific use of Kachin amber inclusions. These conversations touched upon some key themes, important well beyond the field of palaeobiology and the Kachin case: the (impossible) separation of science from politics, the boundaries of what is "legal" and what is "ethical," issues of parachute and extractive scientific practice, and how to address epistemic harm.
Conversations were also specific to the unique contexts in which Kachin amber is extracted and traded. Laur shared his experience with the complexities of the Kachin conflict, Myanmar military dictatorship, and ethnic politics in Kachin State. Alessandro spoke about the role of Kachin amber in the broader AMBER project, and shared his own experience with amber traders and local officials in China's Tengchong.