Debating Human Rights: Critical Essays From The United States And Asia (asia's Transformations)

Human rights debates can provoke strong reactions, particularly among people of different cultural backgrounds. The debate over Asian values and the use of human rights diplomacy are the most obvious manifestations of divisions between Asia and the West and reflect particular world views and historical legacies. In this new book, scholars from the United States and several Asian countries debate fundamental issues such as 'Asian values', 'peaceful evolution' and cultural imperialism. Provocative and challenging essays analyse the debate between East and West, presenting critical perspectives on globalization and human rights diplomacy. Debating Human Rights is an original contribution to a vital area of debate. It presents a uniquely wide diversity of perspectives on controversial issues and demonstrates how scholars and activists who view the world very differently can nonetheless move these debates forward in a search for common ground. Introduction / Peter Van Ness -- Part I. Issues In Dispute -- From Human Rights To Human Dignity / Chandra Muzaffar -- The Human Rights Debate In An Era Of Globalization : Hegemony Of Discourse / Nikhil Aziz -- Asia As A Fount Of Universal Human Rights / Edward Friedman -- An Asian Perspective On Human Rights And Freedom Of The Press / Kishore Mahbubani -- Part 2. Human Rights In Greater China -- East Meets West : Human Rights In Hong Kong / Linda Butenhoff -- Developmentalism And China's Human Rights Policy / Michael J. Sullivan -- Human Rights As Identities : Difference And Discrimination In Taiwan's China Policy / Shih Chih-yu -- Part 3. Women's Rights -- Reinventing International Law : Women's Rights As Human Rights In The International Community / Radhika Coomaraswamy -- From Vienna To Beijing : Women's Human Rights Activism And The Human Rights Community / Manisha Desai -- Part 4. Human Rights And International Relations -- Human Rights And Development Aid : Japan After The Oda Charter / Hoshino Eiichi -- Human Rights Problems And Current Sino-american Relations / Zhu Feng -- From Judge To Participant : The United States As Champion Of Human Rights / Daniel Wessner -- Conclusion / Peter Van Ness. Edited By Peter Van Ness ; With Contributions By Nikhil Aziz ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of contributors......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 From human rights to human dignity......Page 38 The human rights debate in an era of globalization: hegemony of discourse......Page 45 Asia as a fount of universal human rights......Page 69 An Asian perspective on human rights and freedom of the press......Page 93 East meets West: human rights in Hong Kong......Page 114 Developmentalism and China's human rights policy......Page 133 Human rights as identities: difference and discrimination in Taiwan's China policy......Page 157 Reinventing international law: women's rights as human rights in the international community......Page 180 From Vienna to Beijing: women's human rights activism and the human rights community......Page 197 Human rights and development aid: Japan after the ODA Charter......Page 212 Human rights problems and current Sino-American relations......Page 245 From judge to participant: the United States as champion of human rights......Page 268 Conclusion......Page 291 Index......Page 295 Provoking fresh considerations of the issues between East and West, this book of essays presents a diverse range of voices. Asian and Western scholars and activists advance a range of debates as the book attempts to resolve these polarized positions. It examines issues of central importance in human rights diplomacy with chapters including: US/China relations; Asian values; peaceful evolution; and cultural imperialism Chandra Muzaffar sets the stage for this debate, placing it firmly within the historical context of Western imperialism and focusing on how power relates to a debate about values. Provoking fresh considerations of the issues between East and West, this book of essays presents a uniquely diverse range of voices