"Concerns over the Kok River have intensified following reports of elevated concentrations of heavy metals, including arsenic, in rivers flowing from Myanmar into northern Thailand. Environmental groups and local communities have linked the contamination to expanding rare earth and mineral mining operations in Myanmar, reportedly financed by Chinese investors." https://globalvoices.org/2026/08/24/poisoned-waters-indigenous-communities-fight-to-protect-thailands-kok-river/ But we need those rare earths for our smartphones and for our green and clean energy.