About human rights<\/p>\n
In this age of globalization there seems to be a growing
\ntendency on the part of foreign countries -- especially those
\nthat extend aid to others -- to know what is happening in the
\nother countries. A similar trend can also be observed among non-
\ngovernmental organizations (NGOs) around the globe.<\/p>\n
The latest example of this is a statement released by the New
\nYork-based Human Rights Watch\/Asia yesterday, accusing Indonesia
\nof cracking down on NGOs and on the press ahead of next month's
\nAPEC meeting here. The organization called on the participants of
\nthe scheduled meeting \"to tell the Indonesian hosts that rule of
\nlaw would be far preferable to one of enforced tranquility,
\npurchased at the price of intimidation, harassment, press bans
\netc.\"<\/p>\n
This tendency -- especially with respect to the observance of
\nhuman rights -- has understandably made many developing
\ncountries uneasy, because, as they see it, the respect of human
\nrights is inseparable from the protection of other rights in
\ntheir respective societies. For this reason, merely looking at a
\ncountry's \"human rights record\" could produce a biased, or at
\nleast an unbalanced picture of the overall situation.<\/p>\n
Such a lopsided evaluation may look even more awkward in light
\nof the fact that in many industrially advanced countries the
\nimplementation of human rights is related to many other
\nprinciples. The truth is that it is not only the developing
\ncountries that have to consider the existence of many other
\nrelated principles, but also the industrialized nations.<\/p>\n
To illustrate, even the United States' President Bill Clinton
\nhas demonstrated his \"understanding\" of China's human rights
\nsituation, which the U.S. government attacked frequently in the
\nnot so distant past. Now, under the principle that trade comes
\nfirst and human rights in China later, Washington continues to
\nboost its trade with Beijing without making any further fuss
\nabout reported human rights abuses.<\/p>\n
It is in this perspective, we believe, that we should
\nunderstand President Soeharto's comment at the human rights
\nworkshop here yesterday. He said that, for Indonesia, human
\nrights are not only a part of this country's legal or political
\nprogram, but a universal manifestation of the belief in God
\nAlmighty. This view implies that a discussion of basic rights
\nmust include all the efforts that we make to improve the dignity
\nof mankind and to enhance the rights and responsibilities of all
\ncitizens.<\/p>\n
All this, however, could mean that other countries and non-
\ngovernmental watchdog bodies may find it hard to properly view
\nthe Indonesian human rights situation in a proper perspective as
\nlong as they fail to understand what basic rights are involved.<\/p>\n
But the important question is whether the Indonesian concept
\nis workable in the era of globalization on this shrinking planet
\nearth? Unlikely as it may seem, the answer seems to give reason
\nfor optimism. Soeharto in his address guaranteed that Indonesia
\nwould be open to any beneficial values coming from the outside.<\/p>\n
The next relevant question probably is, do foreign countries
\nand organizations have the right to evaluate Indonesia's human
\nrights record? In the words of Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali
\nAlatas yesterday the only organizations that have the right to do
\nso are those that are affiliated with the United Nations. He said
\nother parties should only do so as long as they do it objectively
\nand with a sense of balance.<\/p>\n
So, the problem should be clear.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/about-human-rights-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }