Accommodation from both sides needed

Accommodation from both sides needed

The Indonesian government will deny the United Nation's Human
Rights Commission a recommendation to establish a representative
office in Jakarta. The commission's ambition to open an office
here was induced by its concern about human rights conditions in
Indonesia, particularly in East Timor. The Indonesian government,
for its part, regards such a move improper because it infringes
on the country's sovereignty.

The exchange of ideas also puts the spotlight -- in a small
way -- on the ongoing debate between the two opposing persuasions
of human rights concepts and practices: the universal and the
cultural relativist ones. On one hand, Western countries,
represented in many cases by the United States, believe that
human rights in concept and in practice are of a universal
nature. On the other hand, Eastern countries generally believe
that human rights are relative in nature, concept and practice
depending on locally prevailing cultural, social-political,
economic and ideological conditions.

In Indonesia, opinions are divided into two camps. Human
rights activists generally agree with the universalist view. They
suggest Indonesia should be more outward-looking in its human
rights concepts and practices, and look towards the more advanced
countries for examples. Bureaucrats and government circles, on
the other hand, generally prefer to take an inward-looking
stance, arguing that Indonesia needs to define human rights
concepts and practices that are of an ingrained Indonesian
character.

The wisest attitude to take, it seems, is to accommodate both
opposing views proportionately. Both stances can be made to
operate in synergy in order to arrive at a concept that does not
pit "human dignity" against "the state's sovereignty".

The West should know its limits and restrain its political
arrogance. We, on the other hand, should have the humility to
accept the West's criticism, select out of it what is good and
proper and use it to constantly improve our human rights record.

-- Republika, Jakarta