This article is the second in our series on rare earth minerals. To learn about the basics of rare earths, please read our Explainer: Why You Should Care About Rare Earths.
| Takeaways:Permanent magnets found in electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and data centers use heavy rare earths, which are among the most environmentally harmful minerals being mined today.Heavy rare earth mining in Myanmar releases toxic elements into land and rivers that reach into Thailand. As a result, Indigenous peoples and rural communities are left with contaminated water and land.Dozens of workers have died or disappeared from landslides at heavy rare earth mining sites in Myanmar. Workers handling toxic chemicals without proper protections have also died from exposure.Rare earth mining in Myanmar is happening in the midst of a violent civil conflict, and active fighting between the junta and ethnic resistance organizations is escalating. |
You have likely heard about rare earth minerals. They are found in the permanent magnets that power Electric Vehicles (EVs) and wind turbines. They’re used in every smartphone and found in AI data centers, and are a key bargaining chip in the geopolitical trade disputes between China and the United States. But you might not have known that rare earth minerals are also among the most environmentally harmful of the elements mined for your electronics. In this article, we explain why.
Your EV has “heavy” and “light” rare earth minerals in it
EVs make up nearly 40% of global demand for rare earth magnets; the market for rare earth magnets in EVs will reach an estimated $10 billion in 2031. The explosion of AI data centers also means more demand for rare earth magnets used in hard disk drives and cooling systems. Because of their use in so many ubiquitous products, it’s becoming increasingly important to scrutinize how they’re mined and processed.
Rare earths are separated into light and heavy metals. There’s no perfect definition of light or heavy, but it generally is separated by atomic number on the periodic table: Lanthanum to Promethium are classified as light, and Europium to Lutetium are considered heavy.
Both light and heavy rare earths are used to make permanent magnets. Manufacturers typically mix neodymium and praseodymium, which are two light rare earth elements, with dysprosium or terbium, which are heavy rare earth elements. The addition of heavy rare earths makes the magnet more resistant to heat that can negatively affect their strength and demagnetize them. This resistance has made them useful in electric motors and wind turbines, which can reach temperatures of 176 to 302ºF (80 to 150ºC).
Light and heavy rare earths usually are not found in the same deposit, and are extracted using different processes. Mining for light rare earths typically involves open pit mining, where large amounts of raw earth are extracted to refine and process. Open pit mining is environmentally damaging, destroying biodiversity and causing land and water pollution. Because these crystal deposits are also found alongside radioactive elements, there is an additional risk of radioactive pollution.
Heavy rare earth mining also carries serious risks to people and the environment. Mines use a process called in-situ leaching, in which chemical agents such as ammonium sulfate are poured through pipes buried deep into the ground to release heavy rare earth elements. Miners use water to flush out the newly separated elements from the ground into collection ponds through a separate set of horizontally placed pipes. Toxic and radioactive elements like arsenic or uranium are released as byproducts that flow out into the surrounding land and water. The in-situ leaching method of heavy rare earth mining was first widely used in southern China before shifting to Myanmar, where there are no enforceable regulations or standards to protect people and the environment. The pollution can persist for decades after mining stops.
Heavy rare earth minerals in your EV likely come from a conflict zone
The global boom for rare earth magnets for EVs, wind turbines, smartphones and other electronics has increased demand for heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium. These minerals are predominantly mined in China and Myanmar, and almost entirely refined, processed, and manufactured into magnets in China. While China has instituted regulations to mitigate domestic environmental harms and crack down on illegal mining, Chinese companies are operating without the same rules in Myanmar. Between 2017 and 2024, Myanmar exported over 290,000 tons of rare earth materials to China. From January to September 2025, Myanmar exported $620 million worth of rare earth oxides, approximately 28,000 metric tons.
Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia that borders India, China, and Thailand. In 2021, the military attempted a coup that has seen a worsening civil conflict and a massive humanitarian crisis, with the civilian government forming the National Unity Government to oppose the military dictatorship. The Myanmar military has arrested and disappeared thousands of pro-democracy activists and repeatedly launched air strikes against civilians, killing thousands and displacing millions who are left without shelter or basic necessities.
As of June 2026, the military junta had only gained control of about 60% of the country’s territory, with much of Myanmar under the control of ethnic resistance groups that govern regions autonomously and have a large armed wing. In some regions, these groups have been the de facto governments for decades. There are an estimated 25 ethnic armed groups, most of which oppose the military junta and work with the National Unity Government.
The majority of heavy rare earth mining takes place in Kachin State in northern Myanmar, in areas currently controlled by the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO), a leading ethnic resistance organization in the pro-democracy movement. The KIO and other organizations across Myanmar are in active conflict against the Myanmar military junta. Until late 2024, an armed group aligned with the military junta controlled most of the mines in Kachin State. The military junta is actively fighting the KIO to regain control over this territory. Mining is also taking place in Shan and Wa states, located south of Kachin State, under control of ethnic armed organizations like the United Wa State Army, the largest in Myanmar and one that does not oppose the military. For now, China is the recipient of effectively all rare earths coming out of Myanmar, though countries like India and the United States are considering negotiating direct access to these minerals.
Communities in Myanmar face serious harms from heavy rare earth mining
Unregulated heavy rare earth mining in Myanmar causes serious harm to the land and the communities that depend on the natural environment for their survival. Miners clear cut forests and cleave sections of mountains to access the minerals. Miners set up their operations near rivers because of the amount of water needed to flush out the metals. In Kachin State and Myanmar, most operations lack proper set-up and protections, and as a result, toxic byproducts leach into the water and spread throughout the watershed in great quantities.
Communities rarely have a say over where these mines are located. While in one instance community opposition to a new mine led to the KIO backing down on their plans, more mines continue to crop up. As a result, Indigenous people and communities in Kachin State face health risks and have lost access to clean drinking water, food sources, and their traditional livelihoods.
Some of the mining operations have transboundary impacts that go beyond Myanmar. Mining in Shan State of Myanmar has polluted important waterways that flow across Southeast Asia. For example, arsenic, a highly toxic element, has been found in excess amounts downstream from Shan State, including across the border in neighboring Thailand, where authorities have told locals living along the Kok River to avoid the water because of the pollution. Traces of arsenic from the mines have even poisoned parts of the riverbed of the mainstream Mekong, which provides food security to millions of people.
Workers at the mines also face serious dangers. During the rainy season, landslides and mine collapses have injured workers and have reportedly killed at least 35 miners. The excavation and deforestation taking place in and around mine sites make them more vulnerable to these disasters. Miners are not outfitted with safety equipment or warned of the hazardous chemicals they handle on a daily basis, like ammonium nitrate. While there are no concrete numbers of workers who have died from mining heavy rare earths, the families of the deceased have reported deaths are a result of direct exposure to these toxic materials, and local pastors report attending funerals for miners on a regular basis.
Workers have reported exploitative labor conditions and regularly face delayed payments that are less than their promised wages, forcing them to borrow money to support themselves and their families. Migrant workers travel from inside Kachin State and other regions of Myanmar to work at the mines. Women workers in Kachin State face increased exploitation and abuse with the rise of rare earth mining. Supervisors or worksite managers coerce women seeking employment into sexual relationships, and violence against women has become more prevalent. Higher paid jobs at mine sites are often filled by men, relegating women to lower paying opportunities or sex work. There are also reports from the Shan Human Rights Foundation of alleged forced labor at mine sites in Shan State.
What comes next?
EarthRights stands in solidarity with Kachin civil society to address the injustices associated with rare earth mining in Myanmar. Our efforts aim to amplify local voices, ensure accountability from downstream actors, and call attention to the human and environmental costs experienced by Kachin communities. Together with partners in Thailand, for example, EarthRights co-organized a six day Peacewalk for Rivers along the Kok River to draw attention to pollution from rare earth mining, drawing community members and civil society together. EarthRights also trains environmental defenders, equipping them with the skills and experience they need to better advocate for their communities and a more sustainable and just world.
Heavy rare earth mining in Myanmar is an environmental and humanitarian disaster that continues to grow in severity and complexity. The mining is taking place in the midst of an armed conflict between the junta and pro-democracy forces, while millions of people rely on rivers and watersheds that are being polluted with toxic elements, leaving them without access to clean water or food.
It is time for companies that use rare earth magnets in their supply chains to account for these abuses and shift to more responsible alternatives. In the next article in this series, we’ll talk about how businesses can apply international standards for responsible conduct in conflict-affected areas to their rare earth supply chains.