Senator urges action on UN queries over Myanmar mining pollution

The Senate Committee on Human Rights, Rights and Liberties, and Consumer Protection has urged the Thai government to respond to questions raised by United Nations independent experts about transboundary pollution in northern Thailand originating from unregulated mining activities in Myanmar.

The committee's chair, Norasate Prachyakorn, told the media today that the government had failed to respond to the UN experts' enquiries within the 60-day deadline. He added that similar enquiries had also been sent to the Chinese government and Myanmar's military junta.

He said that pollutants discharged untreated into natural waterways, including the Kok, Sai, Ruak and Mekong rivers, from mining operations in Myanmar's Shan State are not merely a local problem but pose national and international public health risks.

The senator urged the government to adopt a proactive approach by engaging with both the Chinese government and Myanmar's military regime to address the transboundary pollution caused by unregulated mining activities in Myanmar.