Frustration over polluted waterways drove more than 600 residents in northern Thailand to take part in a six-day march of over 42 miles as they urged the government to address toxic metal contamination.
As Mongabay reported, the demonstration came after findings over the past year showed unsafe levels of arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and other metals in rivers in northern Thailand. Mongabay reported that residents from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai joined monks, students, and civil society groups in a march from Tha Ton to Chiang Rai.
The march was intended to spread information, record the damage, and increase pressure on officials to move faster, organizer Pianporn Deetes, executive director of the Rivers and Rights Foundation, told the outlet.
"We are walking because our rivers are slowly dying," she said.
The embassy later acknowledged the demonstration in a Facebook post. In a Mongabay translation, it said, "The Chinese government has always placed utmost importance on protecting the environment and ecosystem."
The response came as critics pointed to China's role in importing rare earth materials from Myanmar, where mining operations are suspected of contributing to pollution flowing downstream into Thailand.
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Signs of harm are showing up in people as well as the environment. Mongabay said Thai health authorities have already detected arsenic in two residents living near the Kok River, and heavy metals have also been identified in water, fish, and sediment across connected river systems.
The contamination is also changing daily routines and straining household finances. Mongabay reported that a rapid health assessment of 424 people in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai found 70% had altered how they use water, with some spending up to 2,600 baht (roughly $80) per month to secure clean supplies, while nearly two-thirds said they had lost income because of the pollution.
That financial burden comes on top of the health concerns facing lower-income farming families. Farmers are disproportionately affected and are forced to spend excessive amounts just to secure clean water despite only earning 5,000 baht (roughly $150) per month.
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