Government urged to address transboundary river contamination with China

The government has been told to treat the transboundary pollution problem in the Kok River, in Thailand’s northern province of Chiang Rai, as a serious national security threat because the toxic discharges from mining activities in Shan state of Myanmar are threatening people’s livelihoods.

“This is no different from a border conflict, in which people are at risk of developing cancer. Millions of people will be affected, although no people have died yet. This is a long-term problem and people of an entire village may fall sick,” claimed Dr. Lalita Hanwong, a history lecturer at the Faculty of Social Science, Kasetsart University, during an informal public hearing held Wednesday in Ban Karen Ruam Mit in Mae Yao sub-district, Chiang Rai.

On June 4, the Senate committee visited Karen Ruammit Village in Chiang Rai, to engage with local residents and hear their concerns regarding pollution in the Kok River.

The event was organised by the Senate committees on political development and public participation, human rights, rights and liberties and consumers protection. A number of academics and local people were invited to attend.

An expert on Myanmar’s internal affairs, Dr. Lalita criticised the Thai government for not treating the transboundary pollution problem seriously enough.

She said that the government must not just offer assurances to the people of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai that the tap water is safe for consumption, but it must approach the Red Wa, who are associated with the United Wa State Army, to address the problem of the discharges of arsenic and other heavy metals from the mines in areas under their control.

The government must also approach China, because the mines are owned by Chinese investors, said Lalita, as she noted that existing mechanisms, such as the Thai-Myanmar Border Committee and the Regional Border Committee, cannot cope with the problem because they do not cover the ethnic minority forces.

Thailand, she said, must not view China as a “big brother” in this context, but as a party which must be held accountable for the mining activities and which is failing in its duty of good governance.

Dr. Sathian Chantha, of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Rajabhat University (Chiang Rai campus), said that the most worrisome aspect of the transboundary pollution is the quantity of heavy metals in the rivers, including the Kok, Sai, Ruak and Mekong, which will have long-term impacts on the health of people who rely on them for water and fish.

He said that community-based organisations have already taken steps to address the problem, while the government is yet to take any material action since the problem emerged more than two months ago.

Dr. Sathian questioned the government’s declaration, namely that the quality of water in the rivers has improved, as being contrary to reports from the Pollution Control Department.

Villagers of Mae Yao sub-district told the forum that boat operators and floating restaurant owners have been hardest hit, because tourists, both foreign and local, have disappeared since mid-April.