How rare earth mining in Myanmar threatens Thailand’s rice and fish

Rare earth mining operations in Myanmar's Shan State are increasingly suspected as the source of dangerous pollution affecting the Mekong River and its tributaries, with devastating consequences for communities downstream in Thailand.

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Even if the daily intake is within the limit, it still builds up. After six months, ‘I can’t handle this any more’. The kidneys can no longer clear it. That’s when we start detecting it in the body. Arsenic poisoning can eventually cause cancer in many organs, especially the skin and bladder.

In Chiang Rai, Thailand, farmers like 71-year-old Thongkham Inprom are witnessing the direct impact. After decades of growing jasmine and sticky rice, Inprom now faces contamination of his farm's soil and water with arsenic. While his polished rice currently contains arsenic within safety limits, his paddy rice is "right at the safety threshold." Somporn Pengkam, director of the Community-led Health Impact Assessment Platform, expressed concern about the long-term effects of even low-level arsenic exposure, noting its tendency to build up in the body and potentially lead to cancer.

Inprom himself is worried, stating, "I don’t really know what we can do. It’s hard to avoid. We eat rice every day." His urine tests have shown increasing levels of arsenic, doubling the acceptable exposure limit over time.

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I don’t really know what we can do. It’s hard to avoid. We eat rice every day.

The problem extends beyond individual farms. In March, Thailand's Pollution Control Department detected elevated arsenic levels in the sediment of the Mekong River, reaching nine times the safety threshold in some areas. Heavy metals like lead and manganese have also been found in the river's northern tributaries since last year, exceeding Thai safety standards.

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They’re doing mining without any standards, any laws, spilling all the chemicals and toxins (into) our river system.

Experts point to the unregulated rare earth mines in Myanmar's Shan State as the likely origin. Pianporn Deetes, executive director of the Rivers and Rights Foundation, stated, "They’re doing mining without any standards, any laws, spilling all the chemicals and toxins (into) our river system." She characterized these activities as "transnational organized crime," highlighting the cross-border nature of the environmental crisis fueled by Myanmar's civil war and the global demand for rare earth minerals.

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These activities are transnational organised crime.