Washington: The United States ranked North Korea and Myanmar among the world's worst violators of human rights and took other Asian countries to task for alleged abuses.

But the State Department's 2007 Human Rights Report dropped China from the category of worst violators -- even while denouncing its poor record -- and noted progress in Thailand s return to democracy following its 2006 coup.

And it hailed multiparty democracies like India and Indonesia for generally respecting citizens rights, while still pointing out major problems.

"Countries in which power was concentrated in the hands of unaccountable rulers remained the world s most systematic human rights violators," the report said, singling out Myanmar and North Korea for this category  which also included Zimbabwe, Iran and Cuba.

A multiparty democracy that outshone its neighbours, India "generally respected the rights of its citizens," but its record was marred by a number of problems, it said.

It cited major problems like extrajudicial killings of persons in custody, disappearances, and torture and rape by police and other security forces.

"A lack of accountability permeated the government and security forces throughout the country, creating an atmosphere of impunity," it said.

"Government officials used special antiterrorism legislation to justify the excessive use of force while combating terrorism and several regional insurgencies," it said.

It cited serious abuses by separatist guerrillas and "terrorists" in Kashmir.

Source : PTI