Donald Trump will assume the American presidency during a pivotal time in US-Asian relations. Rising tensions with China; a nuclear-armed North Korea with growing deliverance capabilities; uncertainties over the extent of Washington’s commitment to the security of Japan and South Korea; differences with allies over previously unquestioned principles and values (Philippines); opportunities to deepen relations with new partners (i.e., India and Vietnam) and anxieties relating to impending U.S. demands for changes to trade agreements are a few of the pressing matters that will quickly find their way to the new president’s inbox. As these hot button issues and others rightly deserve the new administration’s proper focus, human rights must not fall through the cracks among America’s various initiatives in the region.

Tragically, the human condition in Asia has deteriorated in recent years while the elite and protected of many Asian countries have enjoyed the benefits from the region’s economic rise and elevated geopolitical status. The following are a few examples of some of the worst ongoing human rights abuses in the region:

North Korea: New satellite images show that North Korea may be expanding its gulags where political prisoners are routinely raped, tortured, starved and subject to forced labor and executions. To make maters worse, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute, this year roughly 4 out of 10 North Koreans are not getting enough food due to mismanaged policies and food aid that is squandered by the military. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, whose personal weight is estimated to have reached 300 pounds, recently suggested through state media that his nation may face a widespread starvation similar to the 1990s famine in which 3.5 million people were believed to have died.

Burma: Since 2012, over 120,000 Rohingya Muslims have been forcibly removed from their native Rakhine State into camps guarded by hostile Burmese security forces where their freedoms and movements are denied. Tens of thousands of Rogingyas have fled the country by sea or by land into neighbouring Bangladesh and Thailand where many are preyed upon by human traffickers into lives of enslavement. UN investigations have found evidence of nationalist Buddhist organizations inside Burma inciting hatred and attacks against Rohingyas as well as various accounts of Burmese security forces detaining, raping, torturing, conducting forced labour and executing community members. Last month the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that the Rohingyas may be the victims of crimes against humanity and the Rohingya are often described by international media and human rights organizations as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

China: By many measures, human rights in China have worsened under President Xi Jinping. Freedoms of expression and religion have been increasingly curtailed and the detention of political dissidents and human rights activists have expanded. Beyond this, ethnic Tibetans and Uighurs in Tibet and Xinjiang, respectively, have faced heightened levels of discrimination, repression and curbs on fundamental human rights.

Philippines: In May, Rodrigo Duterte was elected the 16th president of the Philippines on a platform that included combating the illegal drug trade through violent measures including the killing of criminal suspects. The President kept his campaign promise by initiating the Philippine Drug War and supporting and praising the extrajudicial killings of thousands suspected of being involved in the drug trade, commenting in a recent interview that he did not “give a sh*t” if the new drug war violated human rights.

Thailand: Since the May, 2014 military coup, restrictions (and in some cases, bans) have been placed on freedom of expression, public gatherings and political activities. Additionally, the authorities have engaged in arbitrary arrests and have used military courts to try civilians, political dissidents in particular. Human rights activists have also criticized Thailand for the alleged exploitation of migrant workers from neighboring Burma, Cambodia and Laos.

Indonesia: It is not uncommon for Islamic extremists to harass and engage in violence against religious minorities, and Islamic ordinances – such as Indonesia’s blasphemy law, article 156a – to persecute non-Muslims. At present, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ashok” Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian, is fighting a highly publicised blasphemy legal case against him relating to his quote of a Quranic verse while campaigning in elections for the Jakarta governorship.

Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia: In each of these countries, fundamental human rights are restricted such as freedom of the press, religion, speech and association, and law enforcers often resort to torture and beatings to extract confessions. Beyond this, ruling governments maintain monopolies on political power and are mired in corruption.

The pressing matters of our time in the Asia-Pacific – economic growth, international security, human development, geopolitics, the environment – do not always lend themselves to discussions of human rights. At times overarching objectives demand that Washington do business with actors who do not share its values, and we must acknowledge that not every meeting between Asia’s and America’s leaders will address the human condition, nor would it be appropriate to do so. Yet, with resolve, a sense of purpose and an understanding of his counterparts, Mr. Trump can position himself to be an effective human rights proponent in these key ways:

As the world saw over the past week with the fall of Aleppo, diplomacy without leverage is a fool’s errand – it can leave even superpowers like the United States without the means to effect desired outcomes. Yet, unlike in Syria, the United States enjoys considerable leverage in Asia in the military, economic and geopolitical realms, among others. Going forward, the U.S. must use its leverage in these areas to exact human rights concessions from partners and adversaries alike.

Longing for access to lucrative American markets and foreign aid? Cut down on arbitrary detentions, stop the extrajudicial killings and recommit to the rule of law.

Interested in U.S. and US-made naval capabilities to protect your country’s maritime claims? Ease up on the enforcement of religious bylaws that persecute religious minorities.

Eager for closer military-to-military relations with Washington to deter a larger neighbour who threatens to throw his weight around? Stop the ethnic cleansing within your borders.

Want to ensure the survival of your regime and stave off another famine? Abandon your nuclear weapons programme and shut down your gulags. (Granted, easier said than done – this one’s complicated.)

And so forth.

Public lecturing of regional states on human rights concerns have dealt past administrations with setbacks if not outright failure. Human rights concerns ought to be conveyed respectfully and privately to allies and non-allies, away from public view. Governments seldom respond well to open accusations and loss of face, and Asian states are no exception.

Part of any effective negotiations requires an understanding of the other party. Washington will need to devote considerable effort towards learning the concerns, interests, strengths and weaknesses of its Asian counterparts and what keeps them up at night — their fears, their burdens, their aspirations, their desires. This will require sustained outreach, a listening to the players involved, a closer look at relevant philosophies and histories and a commitment to a surge of new strategic thinking. A failure of imagination by Washington will put it at a disadvantage with the various ethical and practical concerns in human rights talks.

As Asia’s dynamism brings with it challenges and opportunities for the United States, there is arguably no better time for Mr. Trump to use the bargaining chips of American power, prestige and wealth to employ his self-touted deal making skills to work for improvements to the human condition in Asia. Making good on America’s responsibility in the human rights domain is a worthy endeavor amid the new administration’s stated aspiration to reassert US prominence in the 21st century. Long term, it will also help Washington engage the Pacific community where it will continue to have vital interests for generations.

The writer is Instructor of Political Science at Central Texas College, U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.