CHIANG RAI – On July 2, 2026, academics and civil society groups in Chiang Rai gathered to protest a proposed Thai-Myanmar water testing agreement. They argue the deal fails to address the root cause of heavy metal pollution from mining and hides vital health data from the public. Key TakeawaysThe proposed Thai-Myanmar water testing agreement lacks real power to stop the actual cause of river pollution: unregulated mining. Revisions by Myanmar removed joint testing and added strict secrecy clauses, blocking the public’s right to know about water safety. He warned that testing the water is useless without stopping the mines.