I had the pleasure of being present at a study group recently, organised by the Civil Rights Committee of the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. The loud voices, boisterous laughter, bright minds and energetic spirits of the young participants were no doubt enjoyable, as we discussed and debated on the important issues of international law and civil liberty, as well as state obligation in this regard.

At one point, I cautioned against the pervasive delusion that democracies were always more ready than others when it came to honouring international conventions/covenants.