A S I A
CHINA: Quiet Storm
The crackdown against followers of Falun Gong could turn the group into Beijing's most feared organization

• Interview: Master Li defends his sect

TAIWAN: Backing Down
Quick intervention by the United States forces Taipei to soften its language, diminishing tension with the mainland

• Interview: Vice President Lien "clarifies" the situation

SOUTH KOREA: Cleaning House
Corruption scandals sully Kim Dae Jung's administration

JAPAN: False High?
The big rise in the Nikkei index, fueled mostly by foreign money, may not be as promising an indicator as it seems

• Currencies: The region watches for signs that Beijing may be considering a devaluation of the renminbi

VIETNAM: Where Coal Was King
For the miners of Quang Ninh province, the only thing worse than their working conditions is no work at all

T H E   A R T S
CINEMA: The Tap ... Tap Tap of Courage
The voices of POWs and war widows inform two powerful documentaries about Vietnam

DANCE: Vietnam Joins the Dance
Vietnam's Ea Sola uses modern elements to evoke traditional village life

E N D   P A G E S
SPOTLIGHT

MILESTONES

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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