"Bush, Musharraf and Benazir Bhutto all are engaged in a series of moves that will influence the future of this turbulent country. But it is the army that holds the key to Musharraf’s political future. He has doggedly hung on to his uniform, despite domestic and international pressure to remove it. But at the end of the day, it is his fellow generals who will decide when they have had enough of being dragged into Musharraf’s misadventures." (Photos by Rehman Chughtai)

Comments (15)

"Built on fighting ethnic minorities, the military junta has consistently pursued a narrow nationalist agenda, punishing those who show signs of compromise with other ethnic groups. Current members of the junta have built their careers on defending their version of nationalism. The challenge is to convince them that extending democratic rights in a multiethnic society would not jeopardize their cherished nationalism." (Photos by Lee Turner)

Comments (17)

"The 2008 elections in Bangladesh will need the legitimacy provided by strong voter interest, which currently is lacking. Voters cannot be interested when their basic rights are suspended. Having divisive issues is not an excuse to keep politics banned. As Turkey shows, divisive issues can even be good for voter interest, as long as they are solved through fair elections." (Photos by Md. Akhlas Uddin and Hasan Iqbal Wamy)

Comments (44)

"We waited, but no newspaper ran a supportive editorial, no lawyer defended the freedom of speech, and cartoonist Arifur Rahman remains jailed. If the government fails to free him and the 'moderates' continue to stay quiet, it will only fan the fire of extremism. What the government decides to do should be based on the common thread that created Bangladesh and initiated Islam: tolerance and justice. And liberals should defend that vigorously."

Comments (39)

"The Sri Lankan government denies the poor record of human rights in the country, which can improve only with a political settlement to the war. With LTTE now weakened, there is an opportunity. If the government can come up with a political solution acceptable to the moderate majorities in the ethnic communities, LTTE will face immense pressure from both the Tamil people and the international community to decommission their weapons and end the war." (Photos by Jadhu Nadarajah)

Comments (8)

"Bangladesh's garment exports to the U.S. face almost $500 million in duties every year. By current U.S. stance, reduction of duties will come when Bangladesh’s labor standards improve to resemble those of Western countries. This is unrealistic. Instead, the U.S. should offer a system of gradual duty reduction with incremental improvements in labor conditions in Bangladesh. And Bangladeshi businesses should welcome it, for they can well afford to offer better rights for their workers."

Comments (46)