Rare Earth Mining and the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Myanmar

• The surge in rare earth mining in Myanmar's Kachin State has become a primary funding source for armed groups in a fragmented civil war.
• Critical materials for the energy transition are fueling environmental degradation and territorial conflicts, disproportionately affecting local communities.
• The Rohingya minority remains trapped between warring factions, facing severe violence, displacement, and statelessness.

The Mineral Conflict Economy

• Since 2021, mining sites in Kachin have grown by 194%, with over 370 extraction zones and nearly 2,800 leaching pools documented by the OHCHR.
• In 2023, China imported roughly $1.4 billion worth of heavy rare-earth oxides from Myanmar, creating a direct link between global technology supply chains and local conflict.
• Armed organizations, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), utilize mining revenues to sustain their operations against military authorities.

Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis

• As of June 2026, Bangladesh hosts over 1.2 million Rohingya refugees, with roughly 624,000 children under 18 among them.
• Civilians in Rakhine State face ongoing abuses from both the ruling military and the Arakan Army, including restrictions on movement, recruitment, and military air strikes.
• Humanitarian appeals, such as the $710.5 million requested by the UN for 2026, face funding shortages as international attention wanes.

Geopolitical Stakes

• China prioritizes border stability and the security of trade corridors for its mineral supply chains.
• The United States balances human rights sanctions against the strategic need to diversify rare earth sources away from Chinese dominance.
• Russia maintains strong political and military ties with the junta, offering Myanmar an alternative to Western isolation.