Articles by Emmanuel Freudenthal

Emmanuel is a freelance investigative reporter covering East and Central Africa, with a particular focus on business, corruption, natural resources and human rights.

A temple at night in the town of Bhamo, an area greatly influenced by its proximity to the Chinese border. Photo by Nathan Siegel for Mongabay.

The wily ways of a Myanmar-China border town

by Emmanuel Freudenthal 30 October 2017

BHAMO, Myanmar – Bhamo is a small, busy town set on the bank of the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar’s Kachin state. Its location – at the juncture between the river…

A boat travels in a tributary to the Irrawaddy River near Katha, northern Myanmar. Along this tributary, charcoal is produced by villages and sold to traders that eventually bring it to China, where it is used in factories that make silicon metal. Photo by Nathan Siegel for Mongabay.

The charcoal hunters

by Emmanuel Freudenthal, Nathan Siegel 27 October 2017

KATHA, Myanmar – The train rocked from side to side like a sketchy funhouse. It was the rainy season in northern Myanmar and we had been traveling for nearly a…

A local cools charcoal at a kiln near Katha, Myanmar. This kiln takes seven days to produce 130 bags of charcoal. Myo Htun, who owns the charcoal, will sell each bag for $0.90 to traders in Bhamo, who will then transport it to China. Photo by Nathan Siegel for Mongabay.

Burning down the house: Myanmar’s destructive charcoal trade

by Emmanuel Freudenthal 26 October 2017

BHAMO, Myanmar – A trader turns off his truck’s engine at yet another checkpoint and, again, the soldiers ask him for cash. His truck is filled with charcoal from Myanmar,…