Facing mounting scrutiny over heavy metal contamination flowing into neighboring Thailand, the leadership of the United Wa State Army (UWSA) has summoned business owners and investors to enforce stricter environmental and safety standards for commercial mining operations.

The move follows findings by Thailand’s Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), which detected elevated levels of arsenic and other toxic contaminants in water samples collected from the Kok River, which originates in eastern Shan State.

According to the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF), the contamination stems from the rapid and largely unregulated expansion of rare earth and mineral mining in UWSA-controlled areas. The group said chemical runoff from mining operations is flowing into the river system, threatening ecosystems and communities downstream, including in Thailand.

The pollution has prompted repeated appeals from Thai environmental groups and farmers who rely on the Kok River for agriculture, urging authorities in Myanmar and China to take action.

Amid growing regional and international concern, UWSA General Secretary Bao Ai Kham (Bao Aikang) convened a high-level meeting with industrial operators, investors, and mining stakeholders, calling for immediate compliance with environmental protection measures.

“During mining operations, materials such as explosives and chemicals must not be used beyond prescribed limits. Some operations, driven solely by the desire to maximize metal yields, have exceeded permitted thresholds, resulting in severe consequences, including labor disputes, health hazards, and loss of life,” Bao Ai Kham told the meeting.

He instructed mining operators to conduct their activities through official channels, comply with established procedures and timelines, and allocate a portion of mining revenues to public welfare projects. He also ordered operators to report operational hazards promptly, warning that businesses found in violation of regulations would face legal action.

General Secretary Bao Ai Kham attended the meeting alongside senior officials from the industrial department, including Chen Weihai, Jia Ping, and Zhao Nijufeiping.

Large-scale, largely unregulated mining has long posed environmental challenges in UWSA-administered areas. In July 2025, heavy rainfall combined with runoff from mining sites triggered severe flooding in Mong Pawk, causing extensive damage and killing four people, including a rescue police officer.