"Rare earth rush in Myanmar blamed for toxic river spillover into Thailand" Mongabay, 9 June 2025

The alarm had first been raised the previous month, when people [...] reported skin rashes after bathing, elephants showing signs of illness, and fish turning up dead in the water.

Follow-up testing in both the Kok and the nearby Sai rivers has revealed widespread contamination [...].

[...] elevated arsenic levels have also been found in the Mekong River, which is fed by both the Kok and Sai rivers. Tests [...] showed concentrations above safe limits [...].

[...] rare earth mining, arguably even more environmentally destructive and harder to regulate than gold mining, is also expanding [...].

At a recent community meeting in Chiang Rai, one participant [...] “The current impacts are already clear: people can’t use the river for water, gardening, or cultural activities,” he said.

Reports of unusual symptoms and fish abnormalities have been widespread. [...] a group of Laotian fishermen described catching fish with strange blisters and spots for months.

Although China’s share of global rare earth extraction has dropped to around 70% [...] it still dominates processing and refining. Tighter environmental laws at home have driven Chinese firms to seek resources abroad, particularly in poorly regulated areas like Myanmar.

The Mekong River Commission [...] warned of potential transboundary impacts reaching Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.