"These minerals are essential for manufacturing high-tech products like wind turbines, electric vehicles and medical devices. Most of these mines are located in Shan state, where civil war has raged since the 2021 military coup. Earlier this year, Thailand's Department of Pollution Control found arsenic levels nearly four times higher than World Health Organization (WHO) limits in parts of the Kok River, a Mekong tributary flowing into Thailand from Myanmar. Other toxic metals were also detected at dangerous levels."
"Rare-earth mining has exploded in Myanmar's Kachin region, making it the world's largest source of supplyImage: Supplied by a Global Witness partner The Kok runs through northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province before merging with the Mekong, where arsenic concentrations have also reportedly been detected. The Mekong is Southeast Asia's longest river, which provides a lifeline for millions. Experts fear the contamination could seep into irrigation systems that feed vast stretches of the region's farmland and drinking water supplies."
Myanmar has become the world's largest source of heavy rare-earth elements as mining booms in conflict-affected Shan and Kachin states. Mining operations have released arsenic and other toxic metals into rivers, with parts of the Kok River testing nearly four times WHO arsenic limits. Contamination from tributaries can flow into the Mekong, risking irrigation systems, farmland and drinking water for millions. Prolonged exposure to arsenic and similar metals can cause cancer, neurological disorders and organ failure. Experts warn that unchecked, hundreds of unregulated mines could spread heavy contamination and acidify waters across the region.
Read at www.dw.com
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