Human Rights in Asia: Conditions, Perspectives and Remedies

Abstract Although Asia is a vast conglomerate of diverse countries, there are certain similarities among the conditions leading to a lack of respect for human rights in this huge region. These conditions are: a) the predicament of minorities and the resulting problems within an extremely rigid and complex social stratification; b) priority given by govemments to intemal security, i.e. security measures against "internal aggression"; c) reference by governments to poverty and cultural differences whenever trying to justify their lack of respect for the basic principles of human rights. These conditions also provoke massive movements of people who are often called "refugees". After examining these conditions, the article suggests new fields of research in this area.