Overview

• Myanmar has emerged as the leading source of heavy rare earth elements, with new extraction concentrated in Shan and Kachin under armed-group protection and Chinese-linked operations.
• Thailand’s pollution authorities detected dangerous arsenic levels in the Kok River flowing from Myanmar, and experts warn toxins are likely traveling downstream through the Mekong basin.
• The Mekong River Commission reported elevated arsenic at multiple sites in July but characterized the issue as only moderately serious, drawing calls for stronger monitoring and disclosure.
• India has asked state-run and private firms, including IREL and Midwest Advanced Materials, to explore collecting and transporting samples from KIA-controlled areas in Kachin, according to Reuters.
• Washington has received proposals to engage either Myanmar’s junta or the Kachin Independence Army for rare-earth exploration, yet analysts flag conflict risks, logistics hurdles, limited processing capacity, and potential resistance from China, which dominates refining.