"Government urged to address transboundary river contamination with China" Thai PBS, 5 June 2025

The government has been told to treat the transboundary pollution problem in the Kok River [...] as a serious national security threat [...].

“[...] This is a long-term problem and people of an entire village may fall sick,” claimed Dr. Lalita Hanwong [...] during an informal public hearing held Wednesday [...].

The event was organised by the Senate committees on political development and public participation, human rights, rights and liberties and consumers protection.

She said that the government must not just offer assurances [...] that the tap water is safe for consumption, but it must approach the Red Wa, who are associated with the United Wa State Army, to address the problem of the discharges of arsenic and other heavy metals from the mines in areas under their control.

The government must also approach China, because the mines are owned by Chinese investors, said Lalita, as she noted that existing mechanisms, [...] cannot cope with the problem because they do not cover the ethnic minority forces.

Dr. Sathian Chantha [...] questioned the government’s declaration, namely that the quality of water in the rivers has improved, as being contrary to reports from the Pollution Control Department.