Land prices are rising sharply in the Bawhseng village tract, Kalaw Township, southern Shan State, as a growing number of buyers seek land for mineral extraction, according to locals.
Residents said Chinese companies, along with small-scale private miners arriving from different parts of Myanmar, are scrambling to purchase land plots in Bawhseng and surrounding areas for mining operations, driving land prices significantly higher.
“Compared to before, there are a lot more people buying land now. Land that used to sell for about 8.5 million MMK per acre is now fetching around 20 million MMK.
Plots believed to contain high-grade silver ore are even more expensive,” one Bawhseng resident said. “Chinese companies are signing long-term contracts to carry out mining, while locals are also operating small-scale mines.”
The source added that land once used as farmland by Bawhseng residents has now largely been converted into mining sites.
Locals also said that an increasing number of people in Bawhseng have been forced to sell their land after suffering financial losses from illegal online gambling.
Some plots have been sold at bargain prices after owners who had mortgaged their land during periods of financial hardship were unable to redeem it.
At the same time, locals warn that expanding mining activities are accelerating deforestation in Bawhseng, making the area noticeably hotter than in previous years and raising fears that natural drinking water sources could eventually disappear.
“Back in 2020, the road to Bawhseng was lined with lush green forests on both sides. It was beautiful, and it never felt this hot. After the coup, makeshift huts popped up all along the roadside near the entrance to Bawhseng because so many more people came here to mine,” an environmental activist from the area said. “Now, there are hardly any trees left. If this continues, our water sources could dry up, and we will face serious problems in the long run,” she continued.
She urged local communities to restore forests, reduce mining activities, return to agriculture as their primary livelihood, and protect the natural environment.
According to local sources, the number of Chinese nationals arriving in Bawhseng has increased significantly. They also alleged that the coup regime and police under its command have been extorting money from undocumented Chinese migrants.
Residents said large numbers of Chinese nationals are currently living illegally in the Bawhseng village tract while engaging in mining activities. They added that in May 2024, junta authorities arrested two Chinese nationals who had been residing illegally in the village and deported them.
Bawhseng has experienced recurring water shortages every year, and residents believe the problem is one of the long-term consequences of mining, which has contributed to deforestation, declining groundwater levels, and rising temperatures.
