Asia

The continent of Asia is home to nearly three-fifths of the world's population. China is the most populous country, with 1.3 billion people, followed closely by India, with 1.1 billion. MCC works or funds partners in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, North Korea, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Following are some of the issues and regions covered by the Washington Office:

Economic Justice. For the most part, Asian countries have seen strong economic growth in recent years. Unlike the situation in Latin America, globalization is causing a boom in this region, and exports have doubled over the past decade. (How many things do you own that say "Made in China?")

Everyone wants a piece of the economic pie, which creates new interdependence among Asian countries, and also allows other nations to apply positive economic pressure. The European Union has begun to push for better human rights standards in Asia, using trade incentives rather than military threats. Of course, open markets come with Western influence, and some Asians fear losing their cultural identity and traditional values.

HIV/AIDS. The incidence of HIV/AIDS is on the rise. Most of the cases are seen in India and China, but health experts are encouraging governments across Asia to act soon to prevent new infections, death and financial loss.

Land Mines. Southeast Asian countries are some of the mostly heavily mined countries in the world since the Vietnam War. The United States has neglected funding for the removal of cluster bombs in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and has refused to acknowledge damage caused by Agent Orange, which now affects a third generation. The United States also refuses to clean up toxic contamination on former military bases in the Philippines.

North Korea. The North Korea Freedom Act of 2004 was passed by the Senate in September, after many changes and amendments. The purpose of the legislation was to raise awareness about human rights in North Korea and it does that, while encouraging the United States government to continue with regional dialogues, humanitarian assistance and direct engagement.

While the Bush administration has generally been less supportive of bilateral talks and the six-nation talks about the future of North Korea and its nuclear weapons program, it was announced in May 2006 that the Bush administration was considering signing a peace treaty with North Korea.

Vietnam. In 2004, the State Department designated Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" because of religious freedom issues. The designation allows Congress to impose economic sanctions, if it so chooses. Congress has also introduced several bills to address human rights and religious freedom in Vietnam, issues of special concern to the Vietnamese Mennonite Church in the past few years.

Laos. In November 2004, the Senate passed legislation granting Normal Trade Relations (NTR) to Laos, but also passed a resolution condemning Laos's human rights record. The legislation granting NTR was supported by the Bush administration and President Bush signed it into law on December 3. Supporters - including Ten Thousand Villages - hope that increased economic engagement between the two countries will help improve the quality of life in Laos, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Burma. A few years ago, the United States imposed sanctions to encourage the government to recognize Burma's elected leader. MCC partners in Burma report that the sanctions hurt the Burmese people much more than the government.