Residents in Tangyan Township, northern Shan State, allege that the United Wa State Army (UWSA) is collaborating with Chinese mining investors to extract quartz from Loi Lao Mountain in the Pan Nyawng village tract, raising concerns over land seizures, environmental damage, and a lack of transparency.

According to local sources, quartz is being mined from the peaks of Loi Lao and transported to a washing and processing site established near Nam Nyinn Creek, along the boundary between Pan Nyawng and Mong Keng village tracts. The processing facility lies approximately 20 miles from the extraction sites.

“To be blunt, the stones they extract are as clear and white as glass; they call it quartz. We don’t know what else they might be finding as they dig deeper, but right now they are tunneling and boring into the mountain,” a Tangyan resident told SHAN.

A four-acre stone-washing facility has reportedly been constructed along the creek. Once processed, the quartz is transported via the Ta Hsaeng Leng route north of Tangyan, passing through UWSA-controlled territory before being exported to China.

Residents say construction of the washing station began in November 2025 and involved the seizure of civilian farmland.

“The land belongs to villagers from Nawng Hseng and is located right by the creek. For about one acre, they paid 30 lakh kyats (approximately USD 770) in compensation. But for the other three acres surrounding it, they paid nothing. All the planted Mezali trees (Senna siamea) were cut down and destroyed, and the area was then filled with soil,” the resident said.

When contacted by SHAN, Wa Liaison Officer U Nyi Rang denied that the UWSA was conducting mining activities in the area.

“As far as we know, the Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) has been mining coal there. The ‘Wa’ are not mining in that area, and we haven’t heard of any antimony being produced there either,” he said.

The Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC), a military-owned conglomerate, has been under international sanctions by the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom since the 2021 coup.

Quartz is widely used in high-tech manufacturing, including jewelry production and electronic components such as frequency resonators in watches, mobile phones, and computers. However, residents say the local environmental and social costs of extraction are mounting.

Excavation at Loi Lao Mountain has reportedly triggered frequent landslides during the rainy season, with soil collapsing onto access roads and disrupting transportation. Villagers also report that erosion linked to mining operations destroyed nearby paddy fields last year, rendering some farmland uncultivable. According to residents, no compensation has been provided to affected farmers.

“The washing site doesn’t affect villages upstream, but it is a huge blow to those downstream. Nam Nyinn Creek is the worst affected. People can’t do anything about this; they don’t even dare to speak out in protest,” an anonymous resident said.

More than 150 households in downstream villages — including Pan Nyawng, Nam Hun Kham, and Kho Tawng — are reportedly facing severe water pollution and agricultural losses.

Historically, the Loi Lao area was under the influence of the Man Pan People’s Militia, led by Bo Moon (Lieutenant Moon), which controlled nearly 50 village tracts near the Salween River. Residents say that following the aftermath of Operation 1027, the UWSA expanded west of the Salween and established firm control over the Loi Lao region, coinciding with the recent surge in mining activity.

Locals warn that without oversight or environmental safeguards, the expansion of resource extraction in Tangyan risks long-term ecological damage and deepening hardship for affected communities.