Thai activist warns Mekong dam deepens Myanmar crisis

Mizzima

A Thai environmental campaigner has urged governments across the Mekong region to declare “no‑go zones” for mining and dam construction, warning that unchecked projects are fuelling a pollution emergency spilling out of Myanmar into Thailand.

Speaking at Chiang Mai University on 15 August, Pianporn Deetes, executive director of Rivers and Rights, said a newly agreed hydropower scheme on the Myanmar‑Laos border risks compounding toxic runoff from rare earth mining in Shan State. The contamination has already poisoned tributaries such as the Sai and Kok rivers, which flow into northern Thailand.

Her call comes after Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing signed a Terms of Reference on 7 August, establishing a joint water‑quality monitoring group. Civil society groups and members of the Thai Senate argue the pact lacks teeth, with no clear measures to regulate mining, identify polluters or compensate affected communities. A confidentiality clause also restricts public access to the data collected.

Beyond the bilateral deal, Myanmar and Laos agreed last month to study a 2,790‑megawatt hydropower project straddling the Mekong mainstream. If built, it would be the largest dam on the river outside China and the first to span two countries. Critics say such mega‑projects threaten ecosystems already under strain from mining and deforestation.

The rare earth industry driving much of the tension is concentrated in Myanmar’s Kachin State, which supplies around half of the world’s heavy rare earths used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. Control of the mines has shifted from military‑aligned militias to the Kachin Independence Organisation, an ethnic armed group. Despite pollution concerns, demand is rising: India’s ambassador to Myanmar recently said cooperation on rare earths had “gained significant momentum” as New Delhi seeks alternatives to China’s dominance.

For campaigners like Pianporn, the convergence of mining and dam building represents a dangerous double blow. Without firm restrictions, she warns, rivers across the Mekong basin risk becoming sacrifice zones for regional power politics and global supply chains.

-2026-08-19