> Ock Pop Tok also promotes Hmong artisans. Hmongs are animists who came from Tibet and Mongolia by the early 19th century. There are more than 49 ethnic groups in Laos. Westerners classify them by language – Mon, Khmer, Sino-Tibetan, Tai, Kadai – while in Laos they are recognized by where they live – on the plains, in plateaus or high in the mountains.
- https://asiatimes.com/2019/04/where-the-silk-roads-meet-the-mighty-mekong/
Trying to learn #Geography without #War , #Laos #NewSilkRoad #FairTrade #ockpoptok

> across Iraq in 2003, I never ceased to hear from Sunnis and Shi’ites alike that the American invaders were more barbarous than the Mongols..
One of the key targets of the Caesar Act is to close for good the Syrian-Lebanese border. An unintended consequence is that this will lead Lebanon to get closer to Russia-China. Hezbollah’s secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah has already made it very clear.
https://asiatimes.com/2020/07/barbarism-begins-at-home-in-america/
#PepeEscobar #Russia #Lebanon #Iraq #Iran #Persian #China #NewSilkRoad

Contrary to #Beijing's malicious #propaganda there is no #chaos or even (gasp!) #terrorism in #HongKong, and it's still safe to be in the city's streets. #tourism only accounts for 5% of the GDP, what really matters is the #finance and #banking sector, and that is humming and buzzing, playing a key role in #China's global investments. Think #OBOR and #NewSilkRoad. All the ongoing #protests have zero effect on those activities.
Fact: 1.7 mio protesters told China to bugger off on Sunday. #FarEast