Chiang Mai: Communities along the Kok River in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai on Monday called on the Chinese government to address heavy metal contamination they say is caused by Chinese-owned mining operations in Myanmar.
Representatives gathered at the Chinese Consulate-General in Chiang Mai to submit a four-point petition urging Beijing to investigate the mining operations.
They alleged the mines released heavy metals into waterways that feed major rivers in northern Thailand.
Sayan Khamnueng, a representative, said lead, mercury and arsenic from the mines had caused extensive cross-border environmental damage, affecting more than 110,000 rai of farmland in the Mekong basin.
He said fishermen in 60 villages had lost their livelihoods after the Public Health Ministry warned the public not to consume contaminated fish and other aquatic life because of the long-term health risks posed by heavy metal exposure.
In the petition, the communities urged China to stop supporting mining operators responsible for transboundary pollution, to introduce a traceability system for minerals imported from Myanmar via Thailand, to use the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism to develop restoration plans, and to establish a joint multinational inspection team.
No representative from the Chinese Consulate-General came out to receive the petition, so the group instead left it with Chiang Mai provincial authorities for forwarding to the consulate.
