MYANMAR, ILLEGAL MINING AND CONTAMINATED RIVERS

Tha Thon, Thailand - December 2025

Tha Ton, in northern Thailand, is a key location for understanding the pollution crisis affecting the Kok River. It is here that the river enters Thai territory after flowing through Shan State in Myanmar. Further downstream, the Kok flows into the Mekong, becoming part of one of Southeast Asia’s major river systems.

In recent years, life for communities along the Kok has changed dramatically. The water is no longer used, fishing has nearly disappeared, and tourism has come to a halt. A river that for generations provided livelihoods is now perceived as a threat.

All evidence points to the same source of the problem: upstream, in Myanmar’s Shan State, where, following the 2021 coup, gold and rare-earth mining operations have multiplied in areas beyond any effective control. Debris and sediments released by these activities flow into the Kok’s tributaries and are carried downstream, turning unregulated mining into a direct source of transboundary pollution.

According to checks carried out by Thai authorities and independent bodies, elevated concentrations of arsenic and other heavy metals have been detected in the waters of the Kok and connected rivers, in some cases exceeding safety limits set by the World Health Organization.

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