Rare earth mining exposes the contested politics of Myanmar’s borderlands

What does the green transition look like at the point where its critical minerals are extracted? New research by Dr Patrick Meehan (University of Manchester), Dan Seng Lawn (KRC), Dr Xu Peng (University of Manchester / SOAS CIVAD) and Professor Jonathan Goodhand (SOAS, University of London) explores this question through rare earth mining in Myanmar’s Kachin State. The research examines how a conflict-affected borderland has become integral to global supply chains, and how extraction is shaped by armed conflict, territorial struggles, livelihoods and local contestation.