Freedom from fear and want

Last month wasn't the first time that ASEAN members wanted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights overhauled. They tried once before. In 1993, they invoked Asian values in a bid to derail discussion at the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna. They failed.

Now, four years later, they are back. And their target this time is the 50th anniversary of the universal declaration in 1998. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad took it upon himself to fire the first salvo, and apparently, he has employed a more sophisticated argument. Gone were Asian values. Instead, Mahathir lamented that most Third World countries were not party to the declaration.

He is right. Many of today's Third World states were still struggling to cast away the yoke of colonialism when the declaration was promulgated in 1948. But while they were not around in 1948, they were in 1993. And in Vienna, over 140 countries, members of ASEAN included, reaffirmed the indivisibility, interdependence and universality of human rights. That, however, is conveniently forgotten.

Mahathir and his supporters are fond of portraying the battle on human rights as one between individual rights against collective rights. But the declaration is clear on this: both rights are equally important. Human rights is not a choice between food and votes. It is about both.

It is not only about freedom from torture. It is also about freedom from starvation. It does not only mean the freedom to vote, but also the right to education. Nor does it only mean freedom of the press, but also the right to health.

The struggle for human rights is at once a struggle for freedom from fear and want -- equitable development and democracy are inseparable. And in this, all governments around the world -- both rich and poor, East and West -- have much to answer for.

-- The Nation, Bangkok