Siam News

China is the biggest market for illegal ivory from Africa. In an effort to stop the slaughter of elephants by poachers, celebrities like basketball player Yao Ming and environmental groups are teaming up to educate the Chinese public about the costs of poaching, with the hope that reducing demand could reduce the supply. Internet and tourism campaigns target Chinese citizens and visitors to African countries like Kenya. Many Chinese surveyed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, for example, reported not knowing that elephants were killed for their tusks, and 80 percent of those surveyed said such facts would prevent them from buying ivory in the future. Postal workers in China are trained to recognize suspect packages, and penalties for smuggling are being strengthened.

Through star power and education, animal rights advocates hope to stem the demand for ivory once and for all. – YaleGlobal Celebrities lend support to endangered elephants Mike PflanzThe Christian Science Monitor, 5 September 2012Rights:© The Christian Science Monitor. All Rights Reserved.

Read the full story

Author: Duncan McDuie-Ra, UNSW Northeast India is populated by diverse ethnic groups, many of which are classified as Scheduled Tribes with historical ties to Myanmar, China and other locales outside India. Since India’s independence in 1947, citizens and commentators have variously viewed the northeast frontier as a secessionist badland, the front line between India and [...]

Read the full story

The election success of Burma’s opposition has led to the easing of some sanctions imposed by the United States and pressure from neighboring countries to drop them entirely. Although there is a surge in interest in Burma’s economy from foreign investors, analysts warn there remain major economic and political challenges. Key Facts About Burma Adopted [...]

Read the full story

Andrew Rowat Bloomberg News Residents warm themselves in the afternoon sun at a retirement home on the outskirts of Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. More In Shanghai Artists Reflect on Putin’s Russia in Shanghai China Watch: Minimum Wage Hike, Bubble Trouble, an iPhone Stove? Top China Stories from WSJ: Japan Tourism, WTO Defeat, [...]

Read the full story

For many, the foot of one of the most active volcanoes in the world is not considered as a desirable place to live. Yet, residents living near Mount Merapi in Indonesia have chosen to face the risks rather than to move further away from the mountain. Tens of thousands of Indonesians typically live the slopes of the volcano, with agricultural activities being the economic backbone of these villages due to the rich volcanic soil. However, residents near the mountain are prone to evacuations and a loss of their livelihood. A lethal eruption in November, 2010 claimed more than 200 lives and displaced about 278,000 people. Government officials reported economic losses from the eruption will surpass $600 million (5.5 trillion Rupiah), due to the death of livestock and damage to the tourism, manufacturing and agricultural sectors. More than a year has passed, but some areas leading toward Mount Merapi are still filled with half buried houses and burned trees set against a gray landscape of volcanic ash serve as grim reminders of the devastation. But this has not deterred many from returning to their homes and starting economic activities almost immediately after the government declared volcanic activity had declined. In Srunen, a village of 150 households in the Cangkringan district, villagers have already rebuilt their homes, made of concrete and bricks, signifying that they are here to stay. Locals say Srunen is one of many small villages that face a high likelihood of being totally devastated by the next massive eruption. They say the government has discouraged them from returning to Srunen . As an incentive, the Indonesian government has proposed providing more than $3,200 (30 million Rupiah) and a small plot of land elsewhere. However, Jumilah, 39, a cattle farmer, said no one in the village took up the government’s offer because the compensation was too low. “At the mountainside, we have ample land for farming and cattle-rearing, as well as to build our homes,” he said. “Why should we settle for smaller plots of land?” Jumilah, who lost five cattle and her home in the eruption, recently bought two cattle from the compensation she received. But it will take time before the cattle produces enough milk to be sold. To get by, she sells fruits at a roadside stall leading toward the volcano. Jumilah said she once earned between $21 (200,000 Rupiah) and $38 (350,000 Rupiah) monthly from selling milk, but her income is even lower from selling fruits now, as she has to buy the produce from growers. Dargo, 45, who was also a cattle farmer, said it is not unusual for the villagers to return to their devastated villages after an eruption. “This is our home. What is there to be afraid of? But, if we move, where will we go?” However, not all residents have gotten to choose. Yoto, 63, is still living in a makeshift camp after more than a year since the volcano erupted. She is among the thousands of villagers who are permanently displaced. During the 2010 eruption, her village of Glagahmalang was entirely buried in sand. She said the camp is likely to be her home for the rest of her life. “The government has declared our village to be too dangerous to live in, and hence, all villagers are ordered to move to this campsite,” she said. From owning two large houses and five cattle and land for farming, Yoto now lives in a two-room house measuring six meters by six meters in the campsite, and is dependent on donations for living. She is also uncertain of her future should the donations be depleted, which is expected to end this year. Peering over the site where her village once stood, Yoto said despite the bleak outlook, she has since accepted her fate for living beneath the volcano. “I have lost everything, but I choose not to think about it, as it will make me even sadder,” she said. Yet, Yoto’s fate does not deter the optimism of villagers who have chosen to return to their homes. Indonesia, which is made up of 17,000 islands in Southeast Asia, has some of the world’s most active volcanoes, being situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Read the full story

Getty Images Green bicycles prepared for the new year gala at the Temple of Heaven Park on Friday. Every year on Dec. 31, a number of cities stand out as being the hottest spots to ring in the New Year: New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo. Now Beijing wants to join that list too—and hopes doing so will help boost tourism to the city. And if not many people show up to the party? Well, that’s part of the plan, too. The city is unveiling its first-ever western New Year’s extravaganza, rolling out a digital light show surrounding one of the city’s most renowned cultural icons–the Temple of Heaven, where Chinese emperors in centuries past went to pray for good harvests. As midnight approaches, digital lights will transform part of the temple grounds into a giant, skyward-facing analog clock. Hundreds of local students will ride stationary green bikes that have been placed facing the temple and will light up—an intended salute to the importance of environmental protection. Meanwhile, LED lights will shoot colored beams into the sky and a countdown of the final seconds left in 2011 will be projected onto the temple itself, a triple-tiered gable structure built in the early 1400’s, creating 3-D visual effects. But there will be one major difference between Beijing’s attempt and other hyped international celebrations, such as New York’s famed ball-dropping and the ringing chimes coming from Big Ben in London.  Unlike Times Square, where one million people flock each New Year’s Eve, according to the Times Square Alliance, Beijing’s festivities won’t be open to the public. “The park isn’t big enough to hold that many people,” said Sun Weijia, the vice chairman of Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development and one of the event’s organizers. Organizers have, however, contacted travel agencies to extend invitations to more than 500 foreign tourists who will be in the city, and journalists have also received invitations, Mr. Sun said, predicting a total audience of more than 3,000 people. The goal of the event is not to draw big crowds to one site but to serve as an advertisement to the world’s tourists, Mr. Sun said, adding that the city gained global attention in the run-up to the Olympics and that the spotlight has since faded. “Some zones [at the event] won’t have an audience,” he said, adding, “we designed them especially for television broadcasts.” Some might point out that China is home to one of the world’s largest public squares, a space that dwarfs Times Square and could fit many more people. But China’s leaders have long opposed big public gatherings, especially at Tiananmen Square. The image of thousands of students rallying for democratic rights in 1989 remains a fresh threat in the minds of many officials. In this upcoming year of leadership transition, the focus will be on stability. China’s masses will have to watch the celebration from their televisions at home. Events will be broadcast by those lucky enough to invited to the Temple of Heaven — camera crews and other media types who can broadcast the show across the nation and to the rest of the world. Beijing’s New Year’s bash will differ from those in many cities in another respect, too: a lack of fireworks. Fireworks of the tube-launched, explosive variety are by no means rare on the streets of Beijing, and their public use can be a substantial fire hazard in the period around Chinese New Year (which will fall in late January in 2012). But the Beijing government’s countdown won’t have any. “Beijing doesn’t allow the use of fireworks, especially in imperial parks,” Mr. Sun said. –Laurie Burkitt and Owen Fletcher; follow Laurie at @lburkitt and follow Owen at @owenfletcher .

Read the full story

A group of Chulalongkorn students talk about tourism and the floods with Thai Travel News’ editor Jared Sheldon. 

Read the full story

AFP Elephants prepare to float Krathongs during the Loi Krathong festival at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok on November 2, 2009. A popular Thai holiday in which candle-laden lanterns are floated along waterways and launched into the skies has been disrupted in Bangkok due to ongoing flooding, but festivities are continuing as planned in some other parts of the country.

The Loi Krathong festival, which is an annual favorite of international travelers, is believed by some to have roots in the Indian Diwali, or festival of lights. It became more widespread in Thailand in the 19th century, and involves floating lanterns to pay tribute to Buddha.

The act also involves honoring a Thai water goddess — something that’s especially poignant this year, given the devastating effects caused by the country’s worst flooding in decades. Most official celebrations run from now though through the weekend in various cities.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) told Southeast Asia Real Time that all of its official Bangkok celebrations have been cancelled, however, along with those in the central Thailand cities of Ayutthaya and Suphanburi. Meanwhile, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) was reportedly planning to move its Loi Krathong events from a central Bangkok bridge to city parks that have not been hit by floods.

The BMA could not immediately be reached by telephone, and there were no details available on the BMA website. Despite the cancellation, authorities are still worried that some residents and tourists could ignore official advice and choose to float their lanterns along the Chao Phraya or other waterways that are close to overflowing and subject to unpredictable currents.

The Thai Culture Ministry’s head, Sukumol Khunploem, has warned residents to be aware of the dangers posed by higher water levels, including possible electrocution risks, according to the Bangkok Post.

The Ministry has also asked that anyone who ignores official warnings against participating should at least collect their lanterns after they are floated, so as not to obstruct waterways that may be clogged, according to local reports. Elsewhere in Thailand, where flooding has not been a problem, Loi Krathong events are still set to take place. A festival in Chiang Mai, a northern city popular with tourists, will go ahead, the TAT says.

Those festivities will incorporate the northern Thai custom of launching luminescent paper lanterns into the evening sky, which creates a dazzling effect. Events in the northern Thai city of Sukhothai are also unaffected. In addition, people in southern Thailand destinations, like Phuket and Koh Samui, will still celebrate the holiday. Loi Krathong events are also unaffected in Pattaya, the beach resort on the eastern seaboard, as well as in Hua Hin, a resort city south of Bangkok. Activities in the western Tak province, near the Myanmar border, and in the southern city of Hat Yai, will also go ahead.

Read the full story