Dossier
Kachin Independence Organization
Coverage of Kachin Independence Organization in the Nexus archive.
- How war in Myanmar is driving a deadly rare earth mining boom
The war in Myanmar, fueled by a 2021 military coup and subsequent economic collapse, has driven young people like Min to seek dangerous jobs in rare earth mining near the Chinese border. Hazardous working conditions, including fatal landslides, and environmental degradation have emerged as critical issues in Myanmar, the world's largest supplier of heavy rare earths used in both climate technologies and advanced weapons.