Freedom from fear and want

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