Villagers protest against mining on Thai-Myanmar border amid fears of toxic runoff

Villagers protested against mining on the Thai-Myanmar border amid fears of toxic runoff.

More than 30 residents gathered at the Sai Lom Joy T-junction in Chiang Rai on Wednesday to slam mining operations allegedly tainting rivers with toxic metals.

They held up a banner that read: ‘Stop mining, spreading toxic substances, destroying the food chain, and ruining people's lives.'

Community representative Prajak Khrueasae said residents along the Sai River basin had been forced to endure floodwaters, mud, and vast amounts of sediment inundating their homes.

But their primary concern was toxic substances and heavy metal contamination from upstream mining sites.

He said: 'We are urging government agencies to visit the area, listen directly to the facts presented by them, and urgently address the root cause of the problem, especially the impacts of mining activities that may affect the transboundary river basin.

‘Stop destroying the Sai River. Stop mining immediately before the lives of our entire community are lost.'

The protesters said the Sai and Ruak Rivers are 'not merely borderlines, but lifeblood water sources' that have sustained communities on both sides for generations.

They outlined eight key demands, including immediately halting mining operations, resolving the border river crisis, and reviewing flood and mudslide prevention strategies.

They also urged the Burmese government to immediately suspend mines involved.

Mining in Myanmar has released heavy metals and other pollutants into tributaries feeding the Mekong River, which flows along the borders of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Villagers have found fish with unusual lesions, tumour-like growths, discoloured scales and deformities, while elevated levels of arsenic were recorded in crops irrigated by the river's waters.