Thailand fails to curb rampant ivory trade
Written by admin on June 25, 2009 – 5:01 am -by MICHAEL CASEY
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's government has failed to crack down on one of the world's largest markets of illegal ivory, allowing vendors to openly sell products that come from African elephants, a conservation group said in a report released Friday.
The group TRAFFIC, which monitors trade in wildlife, said that judging by recent seizures of ivory imports and exports and several surveys it has done since 2006, Thailand has surpassed traditional hotspots like Japan and China.
Hundreds of venues from five-star hotels to the popular Chatuchak weekend market in the capital, Bangkok — which has by far the biggest markets in the country — were found to be selling tens of thousands of items, from pricey carvings of religious deities to cheaper bangles, belt buckles and knife handles.
Much of the illegal ivory is smuggled from central African countries to workshops outside Bangkok, the British-based conservation group said. Merchants in the capital and to a lesser degree tourist cities like Chiang Mai sell the ivory products to locals as well as foreign tourists, benefiting from loopholes in current laws that make it hard to crack down on the trade.
Some of the items are also exported to markets in Europe and the United States.
"Thailand has consistently been identified as one of the world's top five countries most heavily implicated in the illicit ivory trade, but shows little sign of addressing outstanding issues," said Tom Milliken, of TRAFFIC, which oversees a global monitoring program, Elephant Trade Information.
"Thailand needs to reassess its policy for controlling its local ivory markets as currently it is not implementing international requirements to the ongoing detriment of both African and Asian Elephant populations," Milliken said.
He said the booming Thai market is endemic of a larger problem in Southeast Asia, where countries including Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines have become key transit points for ivory that is bound for markets in China.
TRAFFIC recommended that Thailand boost its regulation of the domestic ivory market, and amend a law that allows sales of domestic ivory. It also called on the government to streamline often-conflicting legislation related to the trade and to train Thai Customs officials in identifying illegal ivory.
"The Thai government needs to crack down on this serious illegal activity and stop allowing people to abuse the law," said Colman O'Criodain, the World Wide Fund For Nature's analyst on wildlife trade issues. "A good first step would be to put in place a comprehensive registration system for all ivory in trade and for live elephants."
An official with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, who could not be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the report would be discussed at a government subcommittee on ivory trade control next week.
The official acknowledged there was a "problem" with ivory sales in Bangkok but that it was hard to regulate since it can be difficult to differentiate between ivory that comes from domestic elephants and those from Africa. Some shops selling ivory items are registered with the government but he acknowledged many are not.
The Thai official said the government was trying to address the problem partly through the passage of a new law called the Elephant Act, which would toughen regulations on the import and export of elephants and elephant products, including ivory.
Shops or stalls selling ivory products in Bangkok are widespread. A visit to River City mall, a popular haunt of tourists and antique collectors, turned up 10 shops selling ivory carvings, necklaces or cigarette holders. All the merchants interviewed insisted their ivory came from Thailand or Myanmar, a claim disputed by Milliken who said the region doesn't have enough elephants to support the industry.
At Chatuchak market, the owner of the Ethnic Tribe jewelry stall, Chotika Wongchan, was more forthcoming. She acknowledged she bought African ivory in bulk from another trader in the market and that her brother then crafted it into the rings and belt buckles she had on display.
"As a jeweler, it's no problem because we don't sell that much," she said.
Thailand is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which banned trade in ivory in 1989 after a wholesale slaughter of African elephants by poachers in the 1970s and 1980s. But Thailand, unlike China and Japan, has done little to enforce the trade ban.
Tags: Asian Antiques, asian decorative arts
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Value of snuff bottles isn't anything to sniff at
Written by admin on June 25, 2009 – 4:48 am -Throughout history, tobacco has had its own long and varied history. From the middle of the 1600s to the present day, snuff (pulverized tobacco) has had an interesting place in the history of art and world culture. By the 1700s, snuff had become the tobacco product of choice among the elite, and it was seen as a status symbol. Those who took snuff through the nose were thought to be more refined than those members of society who smoked their tobacco. Some of the worldís famous users of snuff included King Louis XIII, King George III and Napoleon.
Tags: Asian Antiques, Chinese Antiques
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Antique Furniture Accessories From China
Written by admin on June 19, 2009 – 12:41 am -If you are looking to fill your home with antique gems and provide a viable nest egg for your future then you have many options. There are various styles and eras of antiques just waiting to be explored. The accessories are beautiful and can really add a little decoration to the room. An antique furniture accessory from China may be the perfect addition to your home.
All Chinese antiques have a high value that will significantly increase over time. An antique furniture accessory from China will be initially expensive but your return can be doubled in a matter of years, depending on market trends and demand.
An antique furniture accessory from China is no different to one of the major pieces of antique furniture that attract so much at auction and in antique stores and can bring the same delicate feel to your home. After all, it is often the small touches that make the difference.
As with any antique, you do have to make sure that you are getting the genuine article. There are unscrupulous dealers out there who would be prepared to offer a substandard or fake item to make money. It is therefore a good idea to find out exactly what you are buying when shopping for an antique furniture accessory from China.
You must be sure of the true value of a potential antique furniture accessory from China. The only way to achieve that is to do your homework and get second opinions. There is a wealth of information out there for an individual to draw on when trying to distinguish the real from the fake so you would be advised to draw on that and apply your new found knowledge to avoid being ripped off.
Another tip is to never take a first valuation as gospel. Other antiques dealer will be happy to help you out by giving valuations on pieces so that you are absolutely certain that you are getting a good deal. Whilst an antique furniture accessory from China can be picked up at a good price, you should believe that a price is not valid until at least one more expert has checked it out.
Always exercise patience and search for the right antique furniture accessory from China for you. It is no use settling for something that may not actually suit your tastes or your home. The whole point of an antique is to give you that little something extra and enhance your home. As well as thinking of the money it could bring you in the future, you should fall in love with it. Remember that patience is a virtue and love takes time!
You can also find more information at Antique Furniture For Your Room and Antique Furniture Hardware. Antiquefurniturersource.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Antique Funiture.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Faulkner
Tags: antique accessories from china, Chinese Antiques
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