Chinese Mining in Myanmar’s Shan State Leaves Locals With Polluted Water, Broken Roads, and Missing Workers

Chinese companies are extracting rare earths and gold from the mountains of eastern Shan State, Myanmar, in territory controlled by ethnic armed groups where government oversight, environmental regulation, and public accountability are largely absent. Residents on both sides of the Myanmar-Thailand border say they are paying for it with polluted rivers, ruined roads, and deadly working conditions, while the profits flow elsewhere. Rare earths are essential to electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, electronics, and advanced military equipment. Myanmar was the world’s fourth-largest rare-earth producer in 2024, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and China is its leading buyer. Chinese customs…