In a groundbreaking speech at the Newseum on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reset U.S. policy on Internet freedom, emphasizing the vital need for governments, companies and technology providers to ensure that the World Wide Web is a force for human rights. Of course, the real test will come in how the Obama administration puts the new policy into practice.

Australia has a good track record of principled diplomacy and implementing targeted sanctions against abusive military governments in Burma and Fiji. Yet it's relatively easy for Australia to speak out about countries where it has few economic interests. It takes more courage and principle to turn up the heat on countries where it has significant economic and strategic interests.

Human Rights Watch joins with others to write to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva regarding the safety and security of over two million migrants from Burma, Cambodia and Laos currently working in Thailand.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should publicly call for the release of imprisoned Burmese rights activist and US citizen Kyaw Zaw Lwin, currently on trial in Burma on politically motivated charges.

US President Barack Obama should urge Asian leaders at the first ASEAN-US summit to unite in addressing the region’s most pressing human rights concerns.

In January, Australians saw shocking photos of young, emaciated men washing up on the shores of Sumatra. Australian television showed these Rohingyas, members of a Muslim ethnic minority systematically mistreated by Burma’s military regime, describing how Thai authorities beat them and pushed them back out to sea. Video footage captured the Thai navy appearing to tow the men out to sea in their rickety boats. The world was horrified.

We write to you urging prompt protection for Rohingya asylum seekers from Burma. Several aspects of Japan's current policy on refugee protection fail to meet international standards, and therefore are in need of revision.

Japan’s new administration should protect Burmese Rohingya asylum seekers in Japan and press Burma to end abuses against the minority group.