Amnesty International has a warning for Hong Kong. It says the police handling of last December's protests against the World Trade Organisation was symptomatic of an attitude that's become all too pervasive among governments around the world.
In the name of national security, public order and 'the war on terror', governments big and small - from the US to Hong Kong - are brushing aside people's rights and freedoms, Amnesty says. But it believes a turning point is in sight. 'Over the past year, some of the world's most powerful governments have received an uncomfortable wake-up call about the dangers of undervaluing the human rights dimension of their actions at home and abroad. Their doublespeak and deception have been exposed by the media, challenged by activists and rejected by the courts,' says Irene Khan, secretary-general of Amnesty International.
'There were some clear signs that a turning point may be in sight after five years of backlash against human rights in the name of counter-terrorism. People are no longer willing to buy the fallacious argument that reducing our liberty will increase our security.'
As the international human rights body released its annual report on the state of human rights around the world, it called on governments to display the same commitment to rights and freedoms as they do to 'protecting national security'.
'More and more governments are being called to account - before legislatures, in courts and other public forums,' Ms Khan says. 'More and more, there is a realisation that flouting human rights and the rule of law, far from winning the 'war on terror', only creates resentment and isolates those communities targeted, plays into the hands of extremists, and undermines our collective security.
'From peasant farmers protesting against land grabbing in China to women asserting their rights on the 10th anniversary of the UN World Conference on Women, the events of 2005 showed the human rights idea is more powerful and stronger than ever.'