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Article: Through the glass, darkly.(air pollution in Indonesia threatens tourist business in surrounding countries)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- August 14, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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KUALA LUMPUR
ANOTHER contagion is threatening the economies of Asia, but this time foreign investors cannot be blamed. The return of heavy air pollution, caused by the perennial burning of forests in Indonesia, is once again threatening to blanket the neighbouring countries of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Quite apart from the threat to human health, which reached alarming levels two years ago, another serious smog could devastate those countries' important tourist industries just as their economic outlook is improving. Despite this threat, and the fact that the fires are man-made, the outcome will largely be left to chance.
The damage so far appears ...