Thai and Chinese leaders urged to end mining along Thai-Myanmar border on World Environment Day

The latest tests on water quality and sedimentation show the worsening trend of toxic heavy metal contamination in the Rivers of Kok, Sai, and Mekong, allegedly due to mining activities in border areas under the Wa army’s influence. Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai residents said the government’s action and response are too sluggish

Chiang Rai —The retired teacher Nithinun and her singer fellows from Dontri Wan Waan (Yesterday’s Music) band walked around the Mae Fah Luang Public Park in Chiang Rai’s downtown to offer blue ribbons to rally goers to show unity together on World Environmental Day on June 5.

“We’re old, but we want to help contribute at this event somehow, as we cannot just sit back and wait for the government to do something for us. Its action is very sluggish,” said the retired teacher.

Ms. Nithinan an her Dontri Wan Waan band members were among over 1,300 rally goers who attended the special event, Pla Khae’s Funeral march (The Death of Devil Catfish), organised on the occasion of the World Enviornment Day by the recently set-up network of the people of Kok and Sai River basins, representing residents, artists, and academics in the Kok and Sai River Basins in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai provinces and its supporting CSOs including the International Rivers.

The event, which ran in parallel with the other two marches in the border village of Ban Tha Ton in Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai district and near the Kok-Mekong confluence in Chiang Saen district, was aimed at raising public awareness about the ongoing toxic heavy metal contamination in those rivers and pressuring the governments concerned, Myanmar and China included, to take action more timely and proportionately.

As they symbolically marched to the middle of the bridge crossing the Kok River nearby, the group’s representatives read the petition in five languages before submitting it to the governments through Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Khajorn Srichanonthai, who also attended the event along with concerned officials.

In the petition addressed to Thailand’s PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra and China’s President Xi Jinping, read in English by IR’s Thailand and Myanmar Campaigns Director, Pianporn Deetes, the residents noted that they are currently facing severe contamination in the rivers with heavy metals originating from Shan State, Myanmar. 

For over a year, the residents along the Kok River have observed that the water remains muddy even during the dry season, which is abnormal since it should be clear. Likewise, villagers along the Sai River have noticed that the river has become increasingly murky over the past 3–4 years, sometimes turning an alarming milky white colour.

“Even after passing through water treatment processes, the water still remains cloudy,” their petition noted.

As such, they have joined forces to demand an investigation into the source of this pollution, as there have been reports that mining activities are taking place at the upper reaches of the Kok and Sai Rivers. The Pollution Control Department (PCD) later conducted investigations and confirmed that heavy metal levels exceeded safety standards. (Read the test results below.)

The residents also noted that the official satellite imagery further revealed clear evidence of illegal mining—including rare earth mining—at over 40 sites, some located just 2 kilometres from the Thai border.

The government’s advisory—urging the public to avoid direct contact with river water, refrain from consuming aquatic animals, and suspend water-based activities—has only heightened people’s sense of insecurity and helplessness, they said in the petition.

“Fisherfolk have lost their income. Farmers are unsure whether it is safe to grow rice. The residents fear using tap water. People are deeply worried about the long-term accumulation of heavy metals and how it might affect the health and that of future generations,” read the petition. 

With the rainy season approaching, the residents are also asking: If floodwaters enter homes, how will they deal with toxic water and mud?, the petition was further read.

Over the past three months, residents said they have also suffered economic losses from a decline in tourism and trade, along with social disruption and both physical and mental health impacts. Yet the government has shown no clear actions to address the root cause—widespread illegal mining operations in Shan State. 

“We, the local people, recognise that this cannot continue. This is a national security crisis affecting millions of lives.

“We therefore urge you, in your capacity as Prime Minister of Thailand, to take all necessary steps to immediately shut down these mining operations. We also call for clear and urgent measures to rehabilitate the ecosystems of the Kok, Sai, Ruak, and Mekong Rivers, and to restore the local economy and society. The longer this problem is allowed to persist, the greater and more widespread the damage will become,” the residents called on the PM in the petition.

The residents and their networks also pleaded with China’s President, saying they are greatly concerned and distressed due to the rivers flowing from Shan State, Myanmar.

Severe health hazards from heavy metals are being contamination due to the opening up of large-scale mining areas in Shan State, and they realised that Chinese companies have exploited legal loopholes to invest in mining gold, manganese and rare earths without international standard processes.

“This ongoing disaster is inconsistent with China’s policy of becoming a global environmental leader. The policy of promoting ecological civilisation is being undermined by the investment of Chinese companies and Chinese people in illegal mining.

“Thai people would like to ask you to show your firm determination to be a part of solving this problem, to stop irresponsible investments that have negative impacts on our neighbours,” the residents noted in their petition.

The petition to the leaders was then handed over to Mr. Khajorn, who told them that the Thai government has been in contact with the government of Myanmar and is awaiting confirmation from its counterpart.

So far, the government of Myanmar has not yet confirmed to the Thai government when it’s ready to meet and discuss the issue.

The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has recently responded to their call, saying it attaches to importance to the incident and has learned about the ongoing test results by the Thai government agencies. China, it said, supports Thailand and Myanmar to communicate and coordinate with each other to investigate and solve the problem through dialogue.

China has instructed Chinese companies operating overseas to follow the law within their host countries and conduct business that complies with the law and regulations in the countries. It’s willing to cooperate with the Mekong countries to protect the environment, ecosystem, and the water quality in the Mekong basin, the Embassy said.

But so far, no further action has been taken or introduced to address the problem by the Chinese government either.