How the Race for Rare Earths Could Shape Myanmar’s Civil War

How the race for rare earths could shape Myanmar’s civil war

Efforts to diversify rare earth supply chains are bringing new attention to war-ravaged Myanmar, where massive rare earth deposits create opportunity – and risk – for the fractured rebellion.

In Myanmar, illicit rare earth mining is taking a heavy toll

Read the full story at e360. As China has cut back on domestic extraction of rare earth minerals, uncontrolled mining in Myanmar has boomed in areas ruled by powerful ethnic armies. New reporting reveals how this activity is damaging water supplies, forests, and the health of workers and communities.