Rare Earth Mining in Myanmar Poisons Thai Rivers, Sparking Health Crisis

A surge in rare earth mining in rebel-held pockets of Myanmar is being blamed for toxic levels of heavy metals in Thai waterways, including the Mekong River, as of August 2025. The mining operations, which supply Chinese processing plants, have expanded rapidly in recent years, with satellite imagery showing the development of over 25 new mine sites in Myanmar's Shan state since 2023.

Repeated water testing by Thai authorities has found alarming levels of arsenic and lead in the Kok River, a Mekong tributary, as well as the Sai River and the Mekong mainstream. Locals living along these waterways have been advised to avoid even touching the contaminated water, which poses serious risks to their crops, livestock, and health. Medical studies have linked long-term exposure to high levels of these heavy metals to neurological disorders, organ failure, and cancer.

In response, an estimated 1,500 people rallied in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province in June 2025, urging the Thai government and China to pressure the mining operators in Myanmar to stop polluting the rivers. Researchers say the mines, which are located in areas controlled by the United Wa State Army rebel group, are using a leaching process that often results in the contaminated wastewater being pumped directly into nearby rivers.

While Thai authorities have proposed building dams to filter the polluted waters, experts warn that such efforts would only provide limited mitigation at best. The long-term solution, they say, requires addressing the root cause of the problem - the unregulated rare earth mining operations in Myanmar's Shan state.