The number of illegal rare-earth element mining businesses in northern Kachin State has now increased much greater than the previous years, according to local sources.

Locals say rare-earth mining was seen only in hilly border areas near Panwa before Myanmar’s political change in 2021, but the number of such illegal mining sites has increased since April 2021 and reached an unprecedented level throughout this year.

A local resident in Panwa said: “Before the political change, there were only two or three 3,000-gallon oil bowsers a day. In about April 2021, the number of such oil bowsers reached about 20 a day. But when I counted the other day, over 80 bowsers come a day. The mining in the mountains has spread out to the valleys of Chibwe. The locals are showing their opposition because their water supply and livestock breeding are being harmed.”

Rare-earth mining sites are located in Kachin Special Region (1). According a Global Witness report released on August 9 this year, there are over mining collection pools with highly toxic waste at almost 300 separate locations. USGS reported Myanmar produced over 26,000 tons of rare-earth elements in 2021, ranking third in the world.

Sources close to the Kachin State government and the rare-earth mining industry said official permits for allotting rare-earth mining blocks and that officials No (2) Mining Enterprise came to close the blocks.  

“Actually, there are no longer legitimate rare-earth mining sites. Those running now are all illegal. Fuel oil to be used for mining is here via a Chinese border route, not from the lower part of Myanmar. A lot of money has to be spent for bribery. All minerals produced go to China,” said a source.

In the last week of November, an inspection visit to the southwest of Panwa led to the arrest of illegal workers including Chinese citizens engaging in illegal mining, and the seizure of over 30 vehicles.

In the 15-mile radius of mining are over 20 villages. As creek water there is dangerously contaminated, indigenous people and animals are suffering severe shortages of water.

The creeks in which minerals are being mined are flowing into the Maykha River and then into the mighty River Ayeyawady.