Gold mining surging in eastern Shan State since coup: report

There has been a significant increase in gold mining along the upper reaches of the Sai River in eastern Shan State over the past three years, according to a report released by the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) on Wednesday. The area, which is under the control of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and an ethnic Lahu militia aligned with Myanmar’s military junta, has been heavily exploited by Chinese business interests since the 2021 coup, SHRF spokesperson Ying Leng Harn told Myanmar Now. “Gold mining has increased dramatically,” she said. “Before it was mostly concentrated in Mong Hsat and Tachileik townships, but it has now expanded as far as Mongton and the Salween River.” Local people are concerned about the situation but feel powerless to do anything about it, she said: “Before the coup, it was possible to lobby for regulation in parliament. But now there is no platform for people to raise their concerns.” According to the report, gold mining has expanded especially rapidly near the UWSA-controlled villages of Mong Karn and Na Yao and near Mae Jok, a village under the Lahu militia’s control. All three are located between the towns of Mong Hsat and Tachileik. Most of the mines are run by Chinese investors with ties to armed groups operating in the area, including Myanmar’s military. However, the names of the companies involved remains unknown. “No one is allowed to enter the mining area, locals or outsiders. It is strictly off-limits and guarded by armed security personnel in uniform,” said Ying Leng Harn. Flooding in the Thai town of Mae Sai, opposite Tachileik in eastern Shan State, in October (SHRF) There is major concern about the impact of the mining operations on local agriculture and the environment, especially from toxic materials, including cyanide, used in the excavation process. Erosion of the Sai River’s banks has also become a serious problem, resulting in heavy flooding earlier this year in Tachileik and Mae Sai, a town located on the opposite side of the river in Thailand’s Chiang Rai Province. “Tachileik suffers more because it is located in a valley,” said a resident of the town, speaking on condition of anonymity. “While gold mining is not new to this area, it’s on every mountain now, so when it rains, the water surges uncontrollably.” In September of this year, both Tachileik and Mae Sai experienced severe flooding. An investigation by Thailand’s Department of Natural Resources last month linked the problem to an increase in silting along the river, possibly due to gold excavation activities. According to the SHRF, coal and gold mining activities are taking place along several rivers across eastern Shan State, resulting in severe damage to the natural environment. In 2023, the UWSA granted permission to seven Chinese companies to mine gold along the Kok River, south of Mong Hsat. Four years earlier, Thailand’s Sahakol Equipment Company began large-scale excavation of coal from a site near the river’s source. Myanmar Now reached out to UWSA spokesperson Nyi Yan for comment on the group’s policies governing mining, but did not receive a response.

Gold mining surging in eastern Shan State since coup: report

Chinese investors have rapidly expanded their operations along the upper reaches of the Sai River in recent years, raising concerns about their environmental impact

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