CHIANG RAI, June 5 (TNA) – On World Environment Day, residents of Chiang Rai gathered to demand an immediate halt to “toxic mining” operations at the headwaters of the Kok and Ruak rivers in Myanmar’s southern Shan State, accusing Chinese businesses, reportedly backed by the ethnic Wa armed group, of causing severe rare earth and gold mining pollution.
The grassroots movement, held at Mae Fah Luang Public Park, involved petition signing, writing postcards to the Prime Minister, and cultural performances, all aiming to pressure Thai, Chinese, and Myanmar authorities, including the ethnic Wa armed group, to stop the mining and rehabilitate the rivers.
In response, Mr. Jatuporn Buruspat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, announced the establishment of contamination monitoring centers and rapid response units in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with the Pollution Control Department leading public communication.
Mr. Rangsiman Rome, Chairman of the House Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and National Reform, highlighted that the Kok River’s significant arsenic contamination is primarily linked to gold mining by ‘grey’ Chinese businesses operating in areas under the influence of the Wa armed group.
He stressed the need for both short-term mitigation and a long-term solution involving the Wa armed group. – 819 (TNA)
