The People’s Network for the Protection of the Kok, Sai, Ruak and Mekong rivers on Monday protested outside the Myanmar Consulate-General in Chiang Mai, calling for action over mining-related pollution in Myanmar that has affected several rivers in northern Thailand.
In a statement addressed to Myanmar president Min Aung Hlaing, the network said millions of Thai residents living along the four rivers have been affected by pollution linked to upstream mining operations.
The group claimed toxic substances released from mines have entered the region’s food chain, forcing farmers in the Mekong basin to irrigate more than 110,000 rai of rice fields with contaminated water. Rice grown in those areas is subsequently distributed to consumers across Thailand.
The network added that the pollution has devastated local livelihoods. Fishermen in approximately 60 riverside villages have struggled to sell their catches because of public concerns over contamination by heavy metals, including lead, cadmium and mercury.
The Ministry of Public Health has advised people to avoid consuming fish and fish organs from the affected waterways, while tourism operators have suffered declining business as environmental concerns discourage visitors.
About 40,000 households, or 120,000 residents, in Chiang Rai, continue to rely on municipal water supplies containing heavy metals, the network said.
UN envoys and working groups previously issued a letter on April 21, raising concerns over environmental degradation and cross-border human rights impacts linked to mining activities. Myanmar responded on June 17, denying the allegations and asserting that no mining operations exist along the Kok River. The network rejected the claim, arguing that satellite imagery clearly shows mining sites in the area.
The protesters called on Myanmar’s authorities to acknowledge the pollution and immediately suspend all mining activities along riverbanks until the issue is resolved.