In recent years there has been a tendency among our political elite to propagate a false dichotomy what is termed as the Eastern and Western concept of human rights. It is claimed that while the West places rights of the individual before the interest of the group or society, Asian culture places society above self. Such claims, if accepted uncritically, through sheer force of repetition, can insidiously undermine the promotion and protection of human rights in Malaysia. While it may sound noble and magnanimous to claim to "place the interest of the group and society above self", the reality is that individuals are often brutalised, dehumanised, tortured and discriminated against, and exploited by people in power, to maintain and consolidate their own positions and interests, in the name of the good of the larger community.

It is patently false to suggest that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) adopted in 1948 focuses only on the individual, because Article 30 states clearly that nothing in the Declaration may be interpreted as implying...any right to engage in any activity...aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth.

Contrary to what is being insinuated by some of our political elite, the UDHR is not entirely a western ideal. The drafting committee of the UDHR in 1946 was made up of eight persons from the following countries: Australia, Chile, China, France, Lebanon, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, Britain and US.

In 1948 when it was presented to the United Nations general assembly, it was adopted by a vote of 48 to 0, with eight abstentions. The 48 nations included Burma, China and India, while those who abstained included the Soviet Bloc, Saudi Arabia and South Africa; the abstentions were an indication of their ideologies, as events were to show.

The preamble to the UDHR makes it clear that recognition of the inherent dignity and rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

The 30 articles in the UDHR in turn, speak of various basic human rights which all people cherish. It is an insult to Malaysians to assert that it is only people in the West that seek justice, freedom from discrimination and arbitrary arrest, freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to education, and all the other rights stated in the UDHR.

Proponents of the Asian concept of human rights should state clearly which of the 30 articles in the UDHR runs contrary to Asian values, instead of making vague insinuations about the unsuitability the "Western concept" of human rights. After all, when a person is tortured, detained arbitrarily, or discriminated against, the pain and degradation that the human being experiences is no different whether it is in the East or in the West.

Perhaps it is time that Suhakam takes the initiative to foster a public discussion to cultivate a better understanding of what human rights really means.