A protest took place in front of the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok on 8 July to demand that China tackle contamination in the Mekong River and its tributaries due to Chinese mines upstream in Myanmar. They also condemned the police violence against participants in the protest in front of the Chinese Consulate-General in Chiang Mai on Monday (6 July).

Activist Lertsak Kamkongsak said that Thailand and its neighbours have been affected by river contamination caused by rare earth mining in Myanmar, allegedly funded by Chinese investors. Communities along Kok, Sai, Ruak, Mekong and other rivers use the water for agriculture. They also consume fish from the rivers.

He said that the police in Chiang Mai used excessive force against the protesters who went to the Chinese Consulate to make similar demands regarding the mines in Myanmar and water contamination. He believes the police were ordered to use force, and that the measures they took exceeded the limits of what is legitimate under Thailand’s public assembly law.

He also speculated that China has been expanding its influence in Thailand through companies registered in Thailand by nominees, which makes the connection to the Chinese government difficult to trace.

Ammarin Saichan, Assistant Manager of the EnLAW Foundation, said that the protesters in Chiang Mai followed the law and were exercising their constitutional rights. They notified the authorities of the protest ahead of time. Contrary to a claim made by the police, Ammarin said, protests are allowed in front of the Consulate as long as they do not block the entrance or disrupt operations. The protest in Chiang Mai had around 30 participants, and so it would not be possible to block off the Consulate completely. Without the forcible disruption of the protest, the police and protesters would have been able to come to a compromise and there would have been no injuries.

In a statement, the NGO Coordinating Committee on Development (NGO-COD) said that water turbidity at the Thai-Myanmar border has risen to nearly 10 times the normal level. Meanwhile, arsenic in the Kok River has been detected at 2.6 times the safety standard and 5-6 times in the Sai, Ruak, and Salween rivers. Unsafe lead contamination has also been detected in multiple communities along the Kok, Sai, and Ruak rivers.

The network called on the Thai government to conduct an independent investigation into police violence against the Chiang Mai protesters, to ensure that those responsible are held accountable, and to fairly compensate the injured.

It should also investigate and hold accountable investment networks, nominee companies, and business operations that cause environmental harm and human rights violations.