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Story Publication logo August 1, 2025

‘Strategic Bargaining Chips’: Kachin’s Rare Earth Mining Pause

Authors:
A rare earth mining site in the Pangwa area, Myanmar, seen in June.
English

Myanmar’s rare earth mining industry is lucrative, but it lacks regulatory safeguards.

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A rare earth mining site in the Pangwa area of Kachin State’s Chipwi Township seen in June. Image by anonymous. Myanmar. The photographer requested anonymity for security reasons.

Nearly 10 months after the Kachin Independence Army seized Pangwa town in Kachin State, the lucrative industry is coming under increasing pressure to resume.

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