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In response to the increasing global demand for rare earth metals, mining activities have surged in Myanmar, particularly in areas controlled by powerful ethnic armies. The extraction process involves workers like Sian, who earn daily wages to dig boreholes and extract valuable heavy rare-earth metals like dysprosium and terbium. This surge in mining activities comes as geopolitics reshapes supply chains and demand for rare earths skyrockets. However, the environmental and human costs of this mining boom are severe, leading to contaminated rivers, soil, illnesses, and displacements in local communities.
Source: Ars Technica