Public Seminar "Rare Earth Mining in Mai Ja Yang, Myanmar"
Date: Friday, January 31, 2025
Time: 14:30–16:30
Location: Meeting Room 3201, 2nd floor, Building 3, Faculty of Social Sciences, CMU
Speaker:
Seng Li (Shanan Foundation)
Ta-Wei Chu (Department of Social Science and Development, Chiang Mai University)
Title:
Rare Earth Mining in Mai Ja Yang, Myanmar
Abstract:
Academic researchers, media outlets, and international non-governmental organizations have investigated the issue of rare earth mining in Myanmar’s Kachin State, which borders China’s Yunnan Province. According to their findings, rare earth mining has caused irreversible environmental and social impacts. These investigations have also examined the role of the New Democratic Army–Kachin (NDA-K) in rare earth mining activities in the Pangwa area of Chipwi Township. o expand on the knowledge of rare earth mining in Myanmar, we explore how the Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A) has governed rare earth mining in Mai Ja Yang, the second-largest town in KIO-controlled territory. We argue that the KIO/A has integrated rare earth mining governance into its broader narrative and efforts of nation-building. This governance has yielded mixed results. Economically, some villages have supported mining activities, while others have rejected them due to concerns about environmental impacts. Neither stance, however, has prioritized the aspirations of Kachin nation-building. Against this backdrop, we suggest that the KIO’s governance of rare earth mining should be transparent and inclusive of the diverse needs of local stakeholders. Additionally, international organizations should acknowledge and support the KIO’s role in governing natural resources responsibly.
Speaker Bio:
Seng Li is the Director of the Shanan Foundation, where he works to promote freedom of expression and natural resource rights in Myanmar's northern Kachin State. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from Mandalay University, a diploma in Community Development Studies from the Myanmar Institute of Theology, and an international Master’s degree in Social Sciences Specialization in Development Studies from Chiang Mai University, Thailand. His research focuses on community resistance to Chinese investments in large-scale agriculture, particularly tissue-culture banana plantations in Kachin State.
With extensive experience in NGOs, Mr. Seng Li served as an office assistant and livelihood grant officer at the Kachin Baptist Convention’s Community Development Department (2010–2014), where he focused on livelihood options for internally displaced people. As the Land Rights Coordinator at the Kachin State Farmers Network (2015–2017), he advocated for land rights and the protection of customary land against land grabbing. He also worked as the Land Rights Officer for People in Need (2018–2019) and as a Media Monitor for Internews (2021–2023). He can be reached at
Ta-Wei Chu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Science and Development, Faculty of Social Science, Chiang Mai University. His research interests include security studies, hydropolitics in the Mekong Basin, the BRI, and rebel governance. He can be reached at