The question of human rights in Asia is a topical and controversial issue. The United Nations Charter commits its members to contradictory principles; on the one hand it forbids interference in another country's affairs, and on the other, aims to guarantee rights and freedoms irrespective of race, sex, language and religion. This conflict is nowhere more apparent than in Asia, where the debate about 'Asian Values' has intensified following the economic slump. Some Asian countries have resisted the development of international human rights standards as an imposition of Western ideals onto non-Western political and social systems, a move which they are keen to resist, partly because of the exposure to external criticism which results from such involvements. Debate about the relevance of human rights to Asian societies has thus far focused on either evidence from single country studies or dealt with the issues at a very broad, abstract level. This book looks in detail at the history of the introduction of human rights ideas into Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and examines how and to what affect state and society have incorporated the specific international standards on children and patients' rights into legal systems and social practice. This comprehensively researched, accessibly written book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of Asian studies, human rights, sociology and politics.