Illegal underground mining booms after military coup

On August 9, Global Witness, a group that monitors environmental issues, released a report today saying that after the military coup in Myanmar, illegal underground mining activities are accelerating.

According to satellite analysis, more than 2,700 rare earth lakes have been found in an area in northern Myanmar, with an area the size of Singapore.

Chinese businessmen and the militia groups of Kachin Special Region-1 have made a compromise and are digging. They control the border trade routes and export rare earth metals to China, Global Witness said. Jajun Tin Yen, who controls militia groups loyal to the military council in the area, said that he is mainly receiving these benefits.

Mike Davis, executive director of Global Witness, said that China has been operating underground mining operations in Myanmar for the past few years.

Jade, worth billions of dollars, He said that underground mining is becoming the latest source of income for Myanmar's military, which has looted the country's natural resources, including gems and timber, for decades.

Last December 2021, it was reported that rare earth metals worth 200 million US dollars were exported from Myanmar to China.

Rare earth metals are used in electric vehicles, smartphones, It is used in wind turbines that can extract electricity, and Myanmar has become the largest producer of rare earth metals in the world, according to the Global Witness group.