Human Rights

There’s been a flurry of reports the past couple of weeks suggesting that North Korea is finally ready to return to the Six-party talks on its denuclearisation. According to the Korea Herald this ‘willingness’ to reconsider is based largely on the co

The Committee to Protect Journalists has just released its report for 2009, and noted last year was the deadliest so far for members of the media, with 71 deaths in cases where the motive has been confirmed.This was largely due to the single attack i

Described by many as the worst crisis in decades in Japan-US relations, the controversy surrounding the relocation of the US Futenma air base in Okinawa has left Japan’s Prime Minister with the choice of defying its most important ally or breaking a key election pledge. But as David McNeill reports, whatever the outcome, the debate has reinforced Okinawans’ disillusionment with power politics and government promises.

A few months back I wrote about Chinese artist Ai WeiWei (‘Where in the World is Ai WeiWei?’) who was recovering in a hospital bed in Munich after brain surgery. Back then it was still unclear whether the serious operation was related to a brain haem

Just weeks after Timor-Leste voted for independence, the town of Suai was visited by a gang of pro-Indonesian rule militiamen who slaughtered dozens of unarmed citizens hiding in a church. Steve Holland meets Manuel dos Santos who, 10 years later, is still waiting for justice–and for his abducted daughter to come home.

Fair trial or kangaroo court? Ben Bland reports from Kuala Lumpur on former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s efforts to criminalise war.

After decades in exile, some Tibetans are beginning to question whether the breathtaking location in India that has served as their temporary residence might, despite their best hopes, be taking on the trappings of a more permanent home. Saransh Sehgal meets the exiles living in Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama.

Parents in India desperate for sons have been taking advantage of advances in medical technology and liberal abortion laws to ensure they don’t have daughters. Shreyasi Singh looks at the reasons behind the dramatic distortions in the country’s sex ratio.

It was the striking picture of Mao Tse-Tung–with ‘slashes’ of black paint across his face–that caught my eye as I was perusing the CS Monitor this morning. And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the image is actually from the cover of the

Barack Obama’s decision not to personally meet the Dalai Lama at the White House this week is creating controversy, with many calling it an obvious move to pacify the Chinese government and ignore the plight of the Tibetan people.  But in a

Close to one million Indian women of low socioeconomic status are said ready to boycott the upcoming Oct.13 assembly elections in the Maharashtra state. *Note the Maharashtra region is, according to recent GDP stats, the richest in India. Many of the

As mentioned in an earlier post, landmine warnings as t-shirt graphics and child labor-produced Burmese jade goods raise some serious questions about the ethics of ‘souvenir-ing’ in Asia.