Transboundary Mining Pollution and Environmental Justice in the Kok–Sai–Ruak River Basin: Applying Nancy Fraser’s Three-Dimensional Framework of Justice

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the heavy metal pollution crisis in the Kok River, the Sai River, and the Ruak River as a structural environmental justice issue, applying Nancy Fraser's three-dimensional framework of redistribution, recognition, and representation. The article uses a literature review of documents and reports from government agencies, the media, civil society organizations, and relevant literature, synthesizing them with Nancy Fraser's theoretical framework. The issues presented explain the expansion of rare earth mining in Shan State under the global political-economic structure, making communities in the Thai border river basins downstream recipients of health, economic, and food security burdens. Meanwhile, the benefits flow to multinational capital and major powers. The voices and wisdom of communities are rendered invisible and they have almost no representation in cross-border decision-making forums. The author proposes that this crisis management be redesigned as an environmental justice project that integrates mechanisms for remediation, recognition of community rights and knowledge, and opening up spaces for community representation in river basin management and mineral supply chain governance at the national, regional, and ASEAN levels.