"South Asian governments must tie down their commitment to protection of human rights in their countries through an Asian Charter of Human Rights," said Purna Sen, Asia-Pacific director of the London-based rights group.

Sen spoke ahead of Tuesday's start of a two-day summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) in New Delhi, where trade and cultural contacts are expected to dominate.

But Amnesty and other rights groups say many of South Asia's 1.4 billion population live in fear as basic rights come under increasing threat by corrupt police and a breakdown in the rule of law -- and that this should also be a topic of regional coordination.

Security forces and police in Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, the Maldives and Afghanistan have all been accused by rights groups of forced disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrests.

Various militant groups operating across the region are also accused of rights abuses.

"Saarc has a mandate of social and economic development," said Mukul Sharma, the director of Amnesty International India.

"Human rights are key to such development and we call upon Saarc to promote and protect the human rights of the women, men and children of South Asia in all of its work."