FIGURE 8.31 Photo Essay: Power and Politics in South Asia Most armed conflicts in South Asia have been sparked by governmental authoritarianism that eroded political freedoms. Supporters of political opposition groups have faced disenfranchisement, imprisonment, and sometimes execution. However, in some cases, growing respect for political freedoms has paved the way for peaceful reconciliation between former combatants. 8.31a Courtesy Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images, 8.31b Courtesy AFP/Getty Images, 8.31c Courtesy NASA, 8.31d Courtesy R. Fox Photography/Lonely Planet Images/Getty Images