cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17829453
China’s extraction of rare earth minerals in Myanmar has reached unprecedented levels, according to a report by Irrawaddy, which said the plunder of minerals had caused an “environmental catastrophe” in Kachin state.
Chinese customs data revealed a “staggering 70% growth in imports” in 2023, with shipments reaching 34,241 metric tons.
It suggested China was exploiting the country while it is engaged in the worst civil strife since independence, saying “Beijing’s aggressive stockpiling strategy extends far beyond its domestic requirements” and that “China is hoarding resources to weaponize them against potential future sanctions.”
[…]
Chinese companies said to be operating via “a complex web of local proxies and shadowy partnerships, had expanded operations by over 40%, to the point where Myanmar is now “China’s primary source of heavy rare earths, supplying approximately 40% of crucial elements like dysprosium, yttrium, and terbium.
[…]
Local communities had complained of severe health impacts – skin diseases, respiratory problems and internal organ damage. But their concerns were ignored by the ruling junta, because it “depends on Chinese support for survival.”
[…]
The report also says:
The human cost is equally devastating. Indigenous communities in Kachin have been displaced from their ancestral lands, their traditional farming areas transformed into toxic mining zones. The Business and Human Rights Resource Center documents numerous violations, including forced relocations, labor abuses, and the destruction of cultural heritage sites. Yet these abuses continue unchecked, hidden from international scrutiny by Myanmar’s isolation.