Hong Kong, China — India’s Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram has criticized the Sri Lankan government’s efforts to rehabilitate internally displaced Sri Lankan Tamils, saying the efforts are not enough. Despite many such criticisms, the government continues to deprive these people of their rights.

Hong Kong, China — Torture by the police and security forces is part of life in Bangladesh. This may be shocking to a citizen of a country where the rule of law functions properly, but not surprising to Bangladeshis. Many think it is unavoidable, unchallengeable and legally unpreventable.

Jakarta, Indonesia — Hundreds of millions of Indonesians will elect their next president next week. The three candidates have bombarded the public with their images and spent a great deal of money to advertise themselves in the media. However, missing from the campaign is a meaningful discourse on human rights.

Hong Kong, China — The U.N. Convention against Torture came into existence on June 26, 1987. The government of India supported it. Unfortunately, 22 years later torture is still widely practiced in India by the police, paramilitary units and other law enforcement agencies.

Hong Kong, China — Skeptics may argue that it is an irresponsible generalization to say that Indian police rely on torture to conduct investigations. They may think such incidents are rare. But let us examine the story of a 15-year-old Dalit, or low-caste, boy named Nitish.

Hong Kong, China — The International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is recognized annually on June 26, devoted to the promotion of a torture-free world. It is also a day when achievements to eliminate torture are evaluated. In the case of Sri Lanka, the practice of torture has increased rather than being reduced.

Hong Kong, China — Charges are finally being lodged against six police officers for allegedly torturing a man in their custody. The police hooded him and beat him all over his body to force him to confess to a robbery that he did not commit. All this was five years ago – and it is unlikely the police will ever be punished.

Niigata, Japan — The dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear Temple on their shared border is a striking example of ASEAN’s failure to mediate regional conflict. Thailand has repeatedly violated Cambodia’s sovereignty by sending soldiers to the border, but the matter has never been raised by ASEAN.

Hong Kong, China — Investigating crime is the responsibility of the police, not of members of the Senate or House of Representatives. Strangely, in the Philippines lawmakers take it upon themselves to investigate even ordinary crimes, effectively usurping police jurisdiction under the pretext of “aiding legislation.”

Hong Kong, China — The Attorney General’s Department of Sri Lanka has surprised the legal community by announcing it will defend four police officers accused of torturing a man and filing false charges against him. This is a major policy change, as the department has long refrained from defending the accused in such cases.