Community Satellite Images Reveal Rare Earth Mining Near Border, Raising Toxic Contamination Fears

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Matichon.

 

Human rights groups have raised alarms over two newly identified rare earth mining operations just kilometres from Thailand’s northern border, amid growing concern about potential toxic runoff into the Kok River, which flows through Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces.

 

According to the Tai Yai Human Rights Foundation, recent satellite imagery reveals two rare earth mining sites operating in the Wa-controlled Special Region 2 of Myanmar, located near the towns of Mong Sat and Yawnghwe (Yong Kha). The mines are situated dangerously close to the Kok River, one just 2.6 kilometres away on the west bank and another 3.6 kilometres away on the east, heightening fears that toxic chemicals used in the extraction process could leak into the water system shared by both countries.

 

The foundation released the satellite images following ongoing reports that levels of arsenic in the Kok and Sai rivers had exceeded safety standards. This contamination has been linked to gold mining activity in the region and has been blamed for widespread flooding in late 2024, the worst in recent memory.

 

Now, attention has shifted to the rare earth mining operations, which are reportedly extracting valuable minerals such as terbium (Tb) and dysprosium (Dy), used in high-tech electronics and military equipment. These minerals are extracted using a highly polluting process known as in-situ leaching, in which chemical solvents are poured through pipes into the hillsides to dissolve the minerals underground. The resulting solution is then pumped into a series of circular evaporation ponds, visible in the satellite photos.

 

This extraction method is notoriously destructive, having previously caused extensive environmental damage in Myanmar’s Kachin State, where Chinese companies are known to operate large-scale rare earth mining ventures. Reports from Kachin document landslides, poisoned groundwater, dying wildlife, and contaminated crops, outcomes that experts now fear could occur along the border as well.

 

The rare earth sites near Mong Sat are believed to have been operational since mid-2023, while mining on the west bank of the Kok River began in mid-2024. These operations went largely unnoticed until investigative scrutiny over gold mining in the Shan State led to deeper satellite analysis, which identified the distinct mining layouts typically associated with rare earth extraction.

 

The foundation warns that without immediate action, the river systems from Mae Ai District in Chiang Mai to Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai, where the Kok flows into the Mekong, could be at risk of contamination, endangering communities on both sides of the border.

 

Environmental groups and civil society organisations are now calling on Thai and Myanmar authorities to urgently investigate and disclose the full scope of mining activity in the area. They are also demanding transparent environmental impact assessments and cross-border cooperation to monitor water quality and protect public health.

 

The government has yet to issue an official statement in response to the latest revelations.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Matichon 2025-05-18.

 

 

 

 

[Captain Flack]

Post breaking forum rules removed.