Burma (also known as Myanmar) shares borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. It is ruled by a military junta who stand accused of gross human rights abuses, including forced labour involving young children.

Civilian politics in Pakistan in the last few decades has been tarnished by corruption, inefficiency and confrontations between various institutions. Alternating periods of civilian and military rule have led to instability.

After nearly a decade of military rule under General Pervez Musharraf, the present government, led by President Asif Ali Zardari, is seeking to improve the situation in Pakistan. This is a difficult task in a country that has endured so much conflict. Many people live in poverty and the country is hugely in debt.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) is about half the size of England and lies close to the southern tip of India and near the equator. The country was ruled by the Portuguese, the Dutch and then the British and gained independence from Britain in 1948.