Villagers of Tha Ton sub-district hold placards during a public consultation as they protest calling for the shutdown of mines upstream and the restoration of water quality in the Kok, Sai, Ruak, Mekong and Salween rivers, amid increased rare earth and gold mining at the Kok river’s source in Myanmar, where unregulated operations may release toxic chemicals, according to the Stimson Center report, in Mae Ai district, in Chiang Mai province, north of Thailand, November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa