Asia-West delegates clash on human rights
By Meidyatama Suryodiningrat
PETALING JAYA (JP): A clash over human rights closed the two- day Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) here yesterday, as Western states were pitted against Asian ones in a public debate over reviewing the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights.
The debate erupted during the final joint press conference as ministers and senior delegates attending the PMC were queried on a proposal to review the UN Declaration.
United States Undersecretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Stuart Eizenstat fired the first salvo, saying that a review would "dilute" one of the most fundamental set of values already agreed upon.
Eizenstat, who sat in on behalf of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, remarked that there seemed to be a notion that there was a contradiction between individual liberty and economic growth as well as political stability. "It is a contradiction which does not exist and never has existed," he said
His comments were immediately responded to by the Asian ministers sitting near him.
Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas quickly expressed surprise that a review of the UN Declaration was "immediately interpreted as a dilution of individual rights".
Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Badawi also retorted with: "I don't expect the U.S. to say yes, yes, and yes. They have very strong views but we do have equally strong views."
The question of a review of the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights came after Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said a day earlier that his country might propose a review of it to allow developing countries to include their perceptions.
Alatas also pointed out yesterday that the perception of human rights had evolved over the last 50 years and now not only included political and civil rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights.
"There are at least 120 developing countries, newly independent countries, which did not participate in the debate to draft the 1948 Declaration on Human Rights," he argued.
Badawi added that "it is a question of interpretation and a question of perception how we view it ... When we talk of human rights, naturally it has something to do with the situation we are in, our own experience and our own expectations".
Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen suggested double standards were being applied to Asian countries, pointing out that the U.S. State Department issues a human rights report on other countries but not one on itself.
European Union representative M. Patijin, who is Dutch deputy foreign minister, said the EU was extremely reluctant to embark on a review.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also voiced doubts, saying the review proposal would not gain enough support.
The PMC serves as a forum between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its dialog partners. ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines. Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The dialog partners participating in the PMC were Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.