Product Description

To the long-suffering Burmese people and particularly for Burma's frontier minorities, the Thai border represents a potential escape from poverty and government repression, and a chance for a better life. Despite the natural hospitality of many Thai people and the efforts of individuals and NGOs involved in support programs, the reality of life in the frontier region rarely matches the dream. In Frontier Mosaic, author Humphries provides first-hand accounts and his own observations of the personalities he encounters, on both sides of the border, as he traverses the length of the Thai- Burma frontier. We are introduced enroute to the insurgent soldier, the mother, the migrant and the artist, among many other typical inhabitants. In tales of hope and dashed dreams, certainties and ambiguities, conflict, exploitation and coexistence, Humphries paints an informative and empathetic picture of life in the region, of interest to specialists and general readers alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1158292 in Books
• Published on: 2008-08-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 200 pages

Review
... In light of recent events in that benighted country, this timely work is an essential read for anyone with a serious interest in the human politics of Southeast Asia. The wealth of information and detail that the author brings to his investigation of this troubled and treacherous region and the sensitive treatment of its victims' stories, make this one of the most perceptive recent dispatches from an area largely forgotten by the rest of the world. --Stephen Mansfield (The Japan Times, 11 November 2007)

... Frontier Mosaic has a very human touch, and Humphries has a deep sympathy for the people he's met along the border. --Bertil Lintner (Irrawaddy Magazine, November 2007)

... Overall the book is a highly readable and personable account of a complex and fascinating, if often neglected, sliver of humanity. It is not an in-depth study of one particular group or issue; rather it is exactly what it advertises to be: a comprehensive introduction to and portrayal of some of the varied peoples, often in their own voices, and issues at the heart of border life and the Burmese conflict. As the author notes, 'Perhaps we should look at conflict not to domesticate or to demonize it, but more to understand it.' --Christopher Smith (Mizzima News)