CHIANG RAI – Residents are calling for action after ongoing pollution from gold and rare earth mines in the Wa-controlled area on the Thai-Myanmar border. Locals are set to gather on 5 June, which is World Environment Day, to highlight the impact of these mines, especially the severe contamination of the Kok, Sai, and Ruak Rivers, and even areas along the Mekong near the Golden Triangle.
Community groups plan to submit a letter to the Chinese and Myanmar embassies urging intervention.
On 19 May, several Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai community organizations met at the Chiang Rai Contemporary Art Gallery to discuss solutions. Groups included the Community and Highland Foundation, local academics, the Mirror Foundation, the Mekong River Association for Life, and others.
They looked at recent water tests by the Pollution Control Department showing high arsenic levels in the Kok, Sai, and Ruak Rivers. Satellite images shared by the Tai Yai Human Rights Foundation suggest new rare earth mines have opened near the river sources in Myanmar, adding to the long-standing gold mining.
The meeting agreed to hold a public event on 5 June outside Chiang Rai’s provincial hall by the Kok River. Plans include setting up an information centre and sharing updates with the public.
Pianporn Dee-That, secretary of the Community and Highland Development Foundation, said recent tests found arsenic in the Kok River at Kang Khum at 0.037 milligrams per litre, the highest ever recorded.
In the Sai River, only 2 kilometres upstream from the border, regular mining is underway. Locals in Tum, Myanmar, report that Wa forces allowed Chinese companies to invest without any environmental checks, causing fish deaths and even setting up checkpoints to collect tolls from travellers.
“If rare earth mining expands at the Kok River’s source, the impact could be severe,” Pianporn said, citing past problems in Kachin State, Myanmar, where chemical extraction has caused major harm.
Dr Suebsakul Kittanukun from Mae Fah Luang University added that Chiang Rai is home to 1.2 million people, with more than 72,000 farmers working on 80,000 rai in the Kok River basin. Many rely on the region’s rivers for farming and daily life.
Since the first detection of arsenic in March 2025, the government’s response has been slow, with only one meeting held and further action possibly delayed until the next budget year in October.
To push for real change, locals will gather on 5 June, holding signs, sharing stories, wearing symbolic ribbons, and submitting formal requests to the Chinese and Myanmar embassies.
Khru Daeng, one of two Chiang Rai recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize, said she will coordinate with international groups like the UNDP and UNICEF to draw attention to the crisis.
Meanwhile, Ajarn Niwat Roykaew, another prize winner, said he collected samples of catfish from the Mekong in Chiang Khong, which showed unusual red spots. This issue has appeared since late 2024, raising worries about possible links to upstream mining activities.
The Department of Fisheries found common parasites and bacteria, but is still running further tests. Niwat wants full disclosure of findings and hopes to make this an urgent national issue. He will kick off awareness at a Chiang Rai walking street event on 24 May, inviting people to join the rally on 5 June.
Somkiat Khueanchiangsa, president of the Mekong River Association for Life, said the group will hold a traditional water blessing ceremony for the Kok River on the rally day. Given Chiang Rai’s diverse population, various ethnic groups like the Lahu and Karen will also take part as a sign of respect for the river.
Chiang Rai locals want action now to protect their water, land, and way of life from unchecked mining pollution.
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