New Mandala

Tourism in mainland south-east Asia has entered a new era. Thailand, once something of an underground destination, has become hugely popular, attracting more than 12 million tourists every year. Its top resorts, such as Phuket and Koh Samui, are swamped by foreigners, particularly in the winter high season. But political and social trends are reshaping the [...]

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There has been a recent effort to discourage the purchase of jade from Burma.  The United States has even made a special set of sanctions to target parts of the trade.  And the Olympics has now been drawn into the picture.  A long report outlining the dire conditions of jade miners in Burma, and titled Blood Jade: [...]

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