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Arabian Post
21-06-2025
- Health
- Arabian Post
Northern Thai Rivers Face Escalating Arsenic Crisis
Tests by Thailand's Pollution Control Department have revealed that arsenic concentrations in the Kok River and tributaries now exceed national safety limits by up to five times. Biochemical analysis indicates that these toxic levels are linked to unregulated mining operations in Shan State, Myanmar, particularly within territories controlled by the United Wa State Army. The Kok River, which begins its 285km course in Myanmar's Daen Lao Range before entering Thailand through Mae Ai and flowing into Chiang Rai and eventually the Mekong, has become the focus of mounting alarm. Tests conducted between late May and early June demonstrated elevated arsenic at all 15 tested points along the Kok and Sai rivers, with further contamination detected in two Mekong sampling sites. Local fishermen have reported adverse impacts to aquatic life and livelihoods. Prices for catch in Chiang Rai have dropped by nearly half, as consumer fear surrounding contamination takes hold. Fisherman Sawat Kaewdam told AFP: 'They say, 'There's arsenic. I don't want to eat that fish.''. ADVERTISEMENT Satellite imagery and drone footage show dozens of active mining sites emerging since around 2022, believed to involve both gold and rare earth minerals. These mines operate under minimal environmental safeguards, with tailings and chemical-laden effluent discharged directly into rivers. One environmental campaigner described the situation as Thailand's 'largest-ever case of transboundary pollution'. Health experts warn that while immediate poisoning symptoms may not materialise, long‑term exposure through contaminated water and fish consumption could lead to chronic arsenic poisoning. Somporn Phengkham of the Community Health Impact Assessment Platform emphasised the risk of gradual accumulation, urging increased scrutiny of wells and irrigation systems. Communities along the Kok River have experienced unusual water discolouration, persistent skin irritations, and fish deformities. Chiang Rai environmentalists staged protests on 5 June, tying ribbons along the river bridge to demand intervention and mine closure. In Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district, a monk from Wat Thaton confirmed that the river's appearance and use had become culturally and practically untenable. Thailand's federal government has initiated emergency measures. Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong has overseen a new response centre, while the Pollution Control Department is conducting enhanced sampling. Officials reassure domestic water supplies are safe, although the contamination source remains external. Proposals for containment include constructing a dam across the Kok River to trap sediments, dredging heavily polluted sections, and pursuing diplomatic negotiations with Myanmar and China. The Foreign Affairs Committee is engaging Beijing to urge oversight of Chinese mining companies operating within UWSA territories. Challenges persist as Shan State's mines lie beyond Myanmar's central control. With the UWSA exerting autonomy and Chinese-linked firms driving extraction operations, finding a direct negotiating partner proves elusive. Regional analysts warn that building physical barriers without curbing source pollution will yield temporary alleviation at best. Environmental advocates underscore the urgency of scaling up real-time monitoring and cross-border coordination. They highlight growing concerns that contamination could extend throughout the Mekong basin, threatening agriculture, fisheries, and water security across Southeast Asia. Experts like Tanapon Phenrat of Naresuan University stress that addressing the problem requires systemic reform: mandated tailings treatment, strict environmental standards, and international cooperation. 'We need to act now,' he stated.
Malay Mail
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
‘We need to act now': Officials link toxic arsenic pollution in Thailand's rivers to Myanmar's unregulated mines
CHIANG RAI (Thailand), June 19 — A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of north-east Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. The complex is one of around a dozen extraction operations that have sprung up in Shan state since around 2022, in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of conflict-wracked Myanmar's largest and best-equipped ethnic armed groups. A few kilometres away across the border, locals and officials in Thailand believe toxic waste is washing downstream from the mines into the Kok River, which flows through the kingdom's far north on its way to join the mighty Mekong. Thai authorities say they have detected abnormally high arsenic levels in their waterways, which could pose a risk to aquatic life and people further up the food chain. The price fisherman Sawat Kaewdam gets for his catch has fallen by almost half, he said, because locals fear contamination. 'They say, 'There's arsenic. I don't want to eat that fish,'' he told AFP. Tests in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai by a government pollution agency found levels of the toxic element as high as 49 microgrammes per litre (mcg/l) of river water — nearly five times international drinking water standards. Experts say that while the effects on human health would not be visible immediately, the fish-heavy local diet risks a cumulative impact over several years. 'We already know where the contamination is coming from,' said fisherman Sawat. 'They should go fix it at the source.' Five-fold rise Pianporn Deetes, campaign director of the International Rivers NGO, blames the arsenic levels on Shan state's unlicensed mines, which operate outside any regulation or control by the central government. It is Thailand's 'largest-ever case of transboundary pollution', she added. The mines are believed to be run by Chinese companies with close links to the UWSA, whose members themselves have longstanding ties to China, speak Mandarin and use China's yuan currency. A satellite image shows an overview of new rare earth mines in Myanmar's Shan state, May 6, 2025. — Maxar Technologies handout pic via Reuters It is unclear whether the mines are digging for gold, rare earths or a variety of minerals, and it is also difficult to gauge the size of an industry operating in a secretive grey zone. But videos on Chinese social media suggest much of what is produced in Myanmar ends up being sold to Chinese buyers. In a report last week citing Chinese customs data, think tank ISP-Myanmar said the country was the source of around two-thirds of China's rare earth imports by value. The Asian giant had imported five times as much rare earths from Myanmar in the four years since the 2021 military coup than in the equivalent preceding period, it added. Many modern mines use a system of tailing ponds to reuse leftover waste and water and stop it being released into rivers, said Tanapon Phenrat of Naresuan University's civil engineering department. But 'in Myanmar, they reportedly discharge it directly into natural waterways', he added, increasing the risk of contamination spreading into the food chain. 'What we need is for mines to treat their waste properly and stop discharging toxic substances into shared waterways.' AFP was unable to reach UWSA officials for comment. Chinese companies From its Myanmar headwaters, the 285-kilometre Kok River is a vital resource for thousands of people as it wends through Chiang Rai province on its way to feed the Mekong. In Chiang Rai City, a tranquil place popular with tourists, environmentalists dressed as wart-afflicted fish dance in protest. The Thai government has proposed building a dam to prevent contaminated water from entering the country, but campaigners say physical barriers alone cannot stop pollution. Bangkok acknowledges that Myanmar's junta may be unable to stop Chinese companies operating mines in militia-controlled areas. And Chonthicha Jangrew of Thailand's parliamentary foreign affairs committee met senior Beijing officials last month, urging them to supervise Chinese mining firms 'in order to stop the impact on people downstream', she said. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok posted on Facebook last week that it had instructed Chinese companies 'to comply with the laws of the host country and to conduct their business in a legal and orderly fashion at all times.' The Myanmar junta did not respond to questions from AFP. 'The water isn't beyond saving yet,' said Tanapon of Naresuan University. 'But this is a clear signal,' he added. 'We need to act now.' — AFP
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Thai rivers threatened by Myanmar's unregulated mining boom: ‘don't want to eat the fish'
A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar , where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. Advertisement The complex is one of around a dozen extraction operations that have sprung up in Shan state since around 2022, in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of conflict-wracked Myanmar's largest and best-equipped ethnic armed groups. A few kilometres away across the border, locals and officials in Thailand believe toxic waste is washing downstream from the mines into the Kok River, which flows through the kingdom's far north on its way to join the mighty Mekong. Thai authorities say they have detected abnormally high arsenic levels in their waterways, which could pose a risk to aquatic life and people further up the food chain. The price fisherman Sawat Kaewdam gets for his catch has fallen by almost half, because locals fear contamination. 'They say: 'There's arsenic. I don't want to eat that fish,'' he said. Thai fisherman Sawat Kaewdam sorts his fishing net along the banks of the Mekong River in the Golden Triangle region in northern Thailand's Chiang Rai province. Photo: AFP Tests in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai by a government pollution agency found levels of the toxic element as high as 49mcg per litre (0.26 gallon) of river water – nearly five times international drinking water standards.
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Myanmar's illegal mining operations poison Thailand's rivers with arsenic — and the crisis is only growing
CHIANG RAI, June 12 — A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. The complex is one of around a dozen extraction operations that have sprung up in Shan state since around 2022, in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of conflict-wracked Myanmar's largest and best-equipped ethnic armed groups. A few kilometres away across the border, locals and officials in Thailand believe toxic waste is washing downstream from the mines into the Kok River, which flows through the kingdom's far north on its way to join the mighty Mekong. Thai authorities say they have detected abnormally high arsenic levels in their waterways, which could pose a risk to aquatic life and the people further up the food chain. The price fisherman Sawat Kaewdam gets for his catch has fallen by almost half, he says, because locals fear contamination. 'They say, 'There's arsenic. I don't want to eat that fish',' he told AFP. Tests in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai by a government pollution agency found levels of the toxic element as high as 49 microgrammes per litre (mcg/l) of river water — nearly five times international drinking water standards. Experts say that while the effects on human health would not be visible immediately, the fish-heavy local diet risks a cumulative impact over several years. 'We already know where the contamination is coming from,' says fisherman Sawat. 'They should go fix it at the source.' Fivefold rise Pianporn Deetes, campaign director of the International Rivers NGO, blames the arsenic levels on Shan state's unlicensed mines, which operate outside any regulation or control by the central government. It was Thailand's 'largest-ever case of transboundary pollution', she added. The mines are believed to be run by Chinese companies with close links to the UWSA, whose members themselves have longstanding ties to China, speak Mandarin and use China's yuan currency. It is unclear whether the mines are digging for gold, rare earths or a variety of minerals, and it is also difficult to gauge the size of an industry operating in a secretive grey zone. But videos on Chinese social media suggest much of what is produced in Myanmar ends up being sold to Chinese buyers. In a report Tuesday citing Chinese customs data, think tank ISP-Myanmar said the country was the source of around two-thirds of China's rare earth imports by value. The Asian giant had imported five times as much rare earths from Myanmar in the four years since the 2021 military coup than in the equivalent preceding period, it added. Many modern mines use a system of tailing ponds to reuse leftover waste and water and stop it being released into rivers, said Tanapon Phenrat of Naresuan University's civil engineering department. But 'in Myanmar, they reportedly discharge it directly into natural waterways', he added, increasing the risk of contamination spreading into the food chain. 'What we need is for mines to treat their waste properly and stop discharging toxic substances into shared waterways.' AFP was unable to reach UWSA officials for comment. 'Legal and orderly' From its Myanmar headwaters, the 285-kilometre (177-mile) Kok River is a vital resource for thousands of people as it wends through Chiang Rai province on its way to feed the Mekong. In Chiang Rai City, a tranquil place popular with tourists, environmentalists dressed as wart-afflicted fish dance in protest. The Thai government has proposed building a dam to prevent contaminated water from entering the country, but campaigners say physical barriers alone cannot stop pollution. Bangkok acknowledges that Myanmar's junta may be unable to stop Chinese companies operating mines in militia-controlled areas. And Chonthicha Jangrew of Thailand's parliamentary foreign affairs committee met senior Beijing officials last month, urging them to supervise Chinese mining firms 'in order to stop the impact on people downstream', she said. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok posted on Facebook Sunday that it had instructed Chinese companies 'to comply with the laws of the host country and to conduct their business in a legal and orderly fashion at all times'. The Myanmar junta did not respond to questions from AFP. 'The water isn't beyond saving yet,' said Tanapon of Naresuan University. 'But this is a clear signal,' he added. 'We need to act now.' — AFP
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Toxic Thailand rivers pinned on Myanmar mines
CHIANG RAI: A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. The complex is one of around a dozen extraction operations that have sprung up in Shan state since around 2022, in territory controlled by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), one of conflict-wracked Myanmar's largest and best-equipped ethnic armed groups. A few kilometres away across the border, locals and officials in Thailand believe toxic waste is washing downstream from the mines into the Kok River, which flows through the kingdom's far north on its way to join the mighty Mekong. Thai authorities say they have detected abnormally high arsenic levels in their waterways, which could pose a risk to aquatic life and the people further up the food chain. The price fisherman Sawat Kaewdam gets for his catch has fallen by almost half, he says, because locals fear contamination. 'They say, 'There's arsenic. I don't want to eat that fish',' he told AFP. Tests in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai by a government pollution agency found levels of the toxic element as high as 49 microgrammes per litre (mcg/l) of river water -- nearly five times international drinking water standards. Experts say that while the effects on human health would not be visible immediately, the fish-heavy local diet risks a cumulative impact over several years. 'We already know where the contamination is coming from,' says fisherman Sawat. 'They should go fix it at the source.' Fivefold rise Pianporn Deetes, campaign director of the International Rivers NGO, blames the arsenic levels on Shan state's unlicensed mines, which operate outside any regulation or control by the central government. It was Thailand's 'largest-ever case of transboundary pollution', she added. The mines are believed to be run by Chinese companies with close links to the UWSA, whose members themselves have longstanding ties to China, speak Mandarin and use China's yuan currency. It is unclear whether the mines are digging for gold, rare earths or a variety of minerals, and it is also difficult to gauge the size of an industry operating in a secretive grey zone. But videos on Chinese social media suggest much of what is produced in Myanmar ends up being sold to Chinese buyers. In a report Tuesday citing Chinese customs data, think tank ISP-Myanmar said the country was the source of around two-thirds of China's rare earth imports by value. The Asian giant had imported five times as much rare earths from Myanmar in the four years since the 2021 military coup than in the equivalent preceding period, it added. Many modern mines use a system of tailing ponds to reuse leftover waste and water and stop it being released into rivers, said Tanapon Phenrat of Naresuan University's civil engineering department. But 'in Myanmar, they reportedly discharge it directly into natural waterways', he added, increasing the risk of contamination spreading into the food chain. 'What we need is for mines to treat their waste properly and stop discharging toxic substances into shared waterways.' AFP was unable to reach UWSA officials for comment. 'Legal and orderly' From its Myanmar headwaters, the 285-kilometre (177-mile) Kok River is a vital resource for thousands of people as it wends through Chiang Rai province on its way to feed the Mekong. In Chiang Rai City, a tranquil place popular with tourists, environmentalists dressed as wart-afflicted fish dance in protest. The Thai government has proposed building a dam to prevent contaminated water from entering the country, but campaigners say physical barriers alone cannot stop pollution. Bangkok acknowledges that Myanmar's junta may be unable to stop Chinese companies operating mines in militia-controlled areas. And Chonthicha Jangrew of Thailand's parliamentary foreign affairs committee met senior Beijing officials last month, urging them to supervise Chinese mining firms 'in order to stop the impact on people downstream', she said. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok posted on Facebook Sunday that it had instructed Chinese companies 'to comply with the laws of the host country and to conduct their business in a legal and orderly fashion at all times'. The Myanmar junta did not respond to questions from AFP. 'The water isn't beyond saving yet,' said Tanapon of Naresuan University. 'But this is a clear signal,' he added. 'We need to act now.'
