Mahathir vows to push for review of rights declaration
Mahathir vows to push for review of rights declaration
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad vowed to push for a review of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and warned of scare tactics from superpowers, reports said yesterday.
"We will have to convince our friends that there is a need for a review," Mahathir, regarded as a leading spokesman of the developing world, was reported saying by The Star daily.
"So far, ASEAN is having the same opinion but what worries us is the pressure the superpower nations will place on developing countries to the extent that they are afraid of stating their stand," he said.
"And this is another human right which no longer exists and the superpowers can do whatever they like," the premier added, alluding to the United States and the European Union who had objected to the proposal.
The proposed review was floated by Mahathir last weekend as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held its annual meeting with its main western trading partners.
The U.S. and European delegations which took part in the ASEAN meetings were taken aback by the Malaysian proposal but Asian foreign ministers backed the idea.
Mahathir also rejected the U.S. charge that the move would dilute the 49-year-old charter.
"These people would rather see people starve than allow for a stable government. They would rather have their government chasing demonstrators in the street," he said,
"But to us, the welfare of our people is important," added the premier, who had said the document was formulated by "superpowers which did not understand the needs of poor countries."
There was a need to reassess the whole thing and "what is human rights," he said, adding "there are other things in human rights other than mere individual freedom."
Malaysia wanted to see the "freedom of the majority" guaranteed and that individual rights should not include the right to destabilize and undermine the lives of other people.
"The west believes individuals are supreme irrespective of what happens to the majority ... The people cannot do business, cannot work because of the so-called expression of the freedom of individuals," he said.
"In a country like ours where stability is important to provide a good life to our people, we consider the good life of people as the right of the people," he added.
The assertion that there are distinct "Asian values" such as respect for authority and the supremacy of society over the individual has been countered by western countries which maintain human rights enshrined in the declaration are "universal values."
The surprise proposal has also generated concern among activist groups who expressed concerns that some governments in the developing world could use the review of the charter as an excuse to suppress people.
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