Humane rights
We should count ourselves blessed that we live in an age where human rights are part of our daily vernacular. In both substance and speech Indonesians have succeeded in breaking the chains of authoritarianism and can now freely execute their political rights, by speaking out against repression, and addressing, if not correcting, injustices across the archipelago.
Nonetheless, there is still much left to do. The creation of a "just and prosperous" society so prominently mandated in the Indonesian constitution remains a distant reality. At the very least, Indonesians can claim that respect for human rights, which constitutes the basis for achieving its constitutional aspirations, is more than mere lip service.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted this day 56-years ago by the United Nations. It enshrines principles of equality and justice, and the sanctity of a persons rights regardless of their ethnicity, religion or gender.
These are principles fostered from major religions, all of which teach goodness and peace, along with concepts and elements already adopted to some extent within many of the world's noble state constitutions, including the Magna Carta, the United States' Declaration of Independence in 1776, and Indonesia's 1945 Constitution.
Thus, even though the formal inclusion of human rights in international law only began in 1948, its conception has been inherent within humans collectively since the dawn of civilization.
As the 1945 Constitution proudly proclaims, "freedom is an inalienable right".
During this most vibrant era of Indonesian history, it should be noted that while awareness of political rights is preeminent there remains tenets of the Human Rights Declaration which are bereft of recognition.
The definition of "freedom" in our constitution should mean more than freedom from colonial or political tyranny.
It contains rights that are essential components of our humanity. Rights that in everyday life usually don't capture headlines, or are not in vogue because of their seeming ambivalence. Rights we ourselves may unconsciously violate out of ignorance or loyalty to obsolete customs.
These rights include, among others, freedom from servitude, and inhuman or degrading treatment; freedom from being deprived of nationality; equal pay for equal work, limitation of working hours, and periodic paid holidays.
More than just a set of codes, they epitomize the heart of benevolent behavior. Nowhere is its meaning summed up more clearly than the very opening sentence of the 1948 Declaration: "recognition of inherent human dignity".
Human rights, therefore, are not simply about the right to vote, freedom of speech or absence of torture.
Despite extolling the sanctity of the individual, human rights specifies minimum conditions for human dignity and a tolerable life -- it is not about conceited notions of what "I" want, but instead of how "I" should treat fellow humans.
This corresponds to the ideals that this newspaper has sought to faithfully pursue, that is, the creation of a more humane civil society.
Some have lamented the rise of human rights as a source of heightened individuality amongst once communal societies. However, a faithful balance of the application of human rights principles will never swing so far as to sacrifice social responsibility for personal moral entitlement.
After achieving so much political freedom through reformasi our attention should now also include those rights that seem to be conveniently neglected.
Decent treatment of our servants and staff, regardless of their perceived gullibility in accepting servile tasks, in conditions that we ourselves would possibly not accept; the legal right of so-called non-indigenous Indonesians to attain their nationality; the right to education; and equal standing for women in marriage.
Systematic neglect -- because it is convenient to have cheap domestic helpers, or complicated citizenship processes due to ethnic prejudice -- is a barbarous act against human conscience.
There is little value of having a nation which reveres political and economic rights, yet selectively disregards the dignified treatment of fellow citizens.
This is Indonesia's challenge.