Myanmar's poisoned mountains

Global Witness reports that heavy rare earth mining has exploded in Myanmar's Kachin Special Region 1, driven by China's need to offshore its polluting mining industry. The process, primarily in-situ leaching, causes severe environmental degradation, including water poisoning and deforestation, while funding militias affiliated with Myanmar's military regime. These minerals, specifically dysprosium and terbium, are critical for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, linking global green energy goals to human rights abuses and ecological collapse in Myanmar.

• Heavy rare earth mining has rapidly expanded in Myanmar's Kachin Special Region 1, becoming the world's largest source of supply as China offshores its toxic mining industry due to domestic environmental concerns.
• The mining process utilizes in-situ leaching, where ammonium sulphate solution is injected into mountains to liquefy earth, leading to severe environmental damage including water contamination, deforestation, and the risk of landslides.
• Mining operations in Kachin Special Region 1 are illegal under Myanmar law and are operated by Myanmar-registered companies that serve as fronts for illegal Chinese investment, managed by militias affiliated with the military regime.
• Revenues from the rare earth trade are likely funding the Myanmar military's abuses against civilians, particularly following the February 2021 coup.
• Local communities report devastating health and ecological impacts, including skin irritation, loss of biodiversity, and the contamination of crops and drinking water from the N'Mai Kha River.
• China's state-owned enterprises, including China Southern Rare Earth Group, China Minmetals Rare Earth Company, and Guangdong Rare Earth Group, are heavily reliant on Myanmar for raw materials to supply the global permanent magnet industry.
• The global transition to clean energy is linked to these abuses because dysprosium and terbium are essential for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines, with demand for processed rare earth minerals for magnets expected to triple by 2035.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Myanmar's poisoned mountains. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/myanmars-poisoned-mountains/

Chicago

Global Witness. Myanmar's poisoned mountains. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/myanmars-poisoned-mountains/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Witness |title=Myanmar's poisoned mountains |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/myanmars-poisoned-mountains/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalwitnessndmyanmars, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Myanmar's poisoned mountains}}, institution = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/transition-minerals/myanmars-poisoned-mountains/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }