Editing Rare-earth element (section)

===Myanmar (Burma)===
[[Kachin State]] in Myanmar is the world's largest source of rare earths.<ref name=":03">{{cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=New evidence shows massive and rapid expansion of illicit rare earths industry in Myanmar, fuelling human rights abuses, environmental destruction and funding military-linked militias |url=https://www.globalwitness.org/en/press-releases/new-evidence-shows-massive-and-rapid-expansion-illicit-rare-earths-industry-myanmar-fuelling-human-rights-abuses-environmental-destruction-and-funding-military-linked-militias/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Global Witness |language=en}}</ref> In 2021, China imported {{US$|200 million}} of rare earths from Myanmar in December 2021, exceeding 20,000 metric tons.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=Myanmar's poisoned mountains |url=https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/natural-resource-governance/myanmars-poisoned-mountains/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Global Witness |language=en}}</ref> Rare earths were discovered near [[Pang War]] in [[Chipwi Township]] along the [[China–Myanmar border]] in the late 2010s.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |title=Illegal rare earth mining harms environment in Myanmar's Kachin state |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/mining-03102022184456.html |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Radio Free Asia |language=en}}</ref> As China has shut down domestic mines due to the detrimental environmental impact, it has largely outsourced rare-earth mining to Kachin State.<ref name=":1"/> 

Chinese companies and miners illegally set up operations in Kachin State without government permits, and instead circumvent the central government by working with a [[Border Guard Forces|Border Guard Force]] militia under the [[Tatmadaw]], formerly known as the [[New Democratic Army – Kachin]], which has profited from this extractive industry.<ref name=":1"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Makichuk |first=Dave |date=2021-05-03 |title=Is Myanmar's junta benefiting from rare-earth boom? |url=https://asiatimes.com/2021/05/is-myanmars-junta-benefitting-from-rare-earth-boom/ |access-date=2023-03-27 |website=Asia Times |language=en-US}}</ref> {{As of|2022|March}}, 2,700 mining collection pools scattered across 300 separate locations were found in Kachin State, encompassing the area of [[Singapore]], an exponential increase from 2016.<ref name=":1"/> Land has also been seized from locals to conduct mining operations.<ref name=":1"/>