Myanmar has seen a massive expansion of illegal mining of rare earth minerals used in green energy technologies and smartphones, fuelling human rights abuses and environmental destruction, according to a new investigation.
A Global Witness report released on August 9 said huge sums of money from this illegal trade have benefited local warlord Zakhung Ting Ying who controls militia units and is in charge of the mining territory that is part of Myanmar’s military chain of command.
It said the mountainous areas where mining is concentrated, known as Kachin Special Region 1, are rich in biodiversity and home to dozens of rare and endangered plant and animal species, all now threatened by the pollution and deforestation caused by the rapid expansion in rare earth mining.
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