The unit is a study of the politics of human rights in East and Southeast Asia. It focuses on the variations in interpretation of the 'international human rights' regime and the emphases on differing sets of rights. This will include the debates on universalism versus relativism, especially the 'Asian values' debate. Students will analyse the practices of Asian states according to these differing conceptions of rights, and will have the opportunity to concentrate further on either comparisons among states or the role of human rights in the political relations among states.