Since the atrocities of World War 2, the concept of human rights has been brought to the forefront of international politics. Human rights are rights which are inherent to every human being and are universally applied to everyone regardless of location or physical attributes. Firstly the essay will discourse the various categories of human rights and how each one interrelates. Then I will make the case that human rights isn’t a western concept on the basis that rights are universal irrespective of culture.
Human rights come under three main categories; negative rights, positive rights and group rights. Negative rights are characterized as civil, political rights or ‘first generation rights.’ They are framed as ‘freedom forms’ or ‘freedoms …show more content…
Often referred to as the ‘Asian values’ debate, various states across Asia in the post-Cold War period did not fully embrace the human rights agenda. First generation rights are said to be too peculiar for Asian cultures which prioritise communal or group values over individual liberties. For example Article 16 of the UDHR maintains that marriage must be voluntary, which would come into conflict with many sects in Indonesia which observe arranged marriages. However progress throughout the last half century has witnessed various Asian countries embodying liberal democratic values whilst preserving traditional norms and customs. For instance Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, which all have roots in imperial dynasties, are largely on par with western countries when it comes to guaranteeing civil and political freedoms. The Freedom Report of 2016 ranked these nations among the most liberated in the world. Whilst advancement in this region may not occur overnight, these countries are exceptional instances of significant progress in the Asian region. Even in countries where authority’s supress freedoms and liberties, countless demonstrations have occurred by civilians demanding rights. For example the 2014 Hong Kong protests for democracy and the 2011 Arab Spring. They both highlight the universal appeal of human rights and political
Human rights come under three main categories; negative rights, positive rights and group rights. Negative rights are characterized as civil, political rights or ‘first generation rights.’ They are framed as ‘freedom forms’ or ‘freedoms …show more content…
Often referred to as the ‘Asian values’ debate, various states across Asia in the post-Cold War period did not fully embrace the human rights agenda. First generation rights are said to be too peculiar for Asian cultures which prioritise communal or group values over individual liberties. For example Article 16 of the UDHR maintains that marriage must be voluntary, which would come into conflict with many sects in Indonesia which observe arranged marriages. However progress throughout the last half century has witnessed various Asian countries embodying liberal democratic values whilst preserving traditional norms and customs. For instance Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, which all have roots in imperial dynasties, are largely on par with western countries when it comes to guaranteeing civil and political freedoms. The Freedom Report of 2016 ranked these nations among the most liberated in the world. Whilst advancement in this region may not occur overnight, these countries are exceptional instances of significant progress in the Asian region. Even in countries where authority’s supress freedoms and liberties, countless demonstrations have occurred by civilians demanding rights. For example the 2014 Hong Kong protests for democracy and the 2011 Arab Spring. They both highlight the universal appeal of human rights and political