ABSTRACT
Part of the resistance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international rights instruments springs from the current ‘Asian versus Western values’ debate. Whether contrived by self-serving governments, or genuinely believed in by proponents of Asian values, or spurred by universalistic claims based on narrow Western interpretations, the arguments against the current international human rights regime merit serious-and sober-discussion. The basic premise of these arguments is that international agreements and standards on human rights are not acceptable to Asia for a number of reasons.
