The politics of justice and human rights

About this book

"This book makes a major contribution to the theory and practice of human rights, engaging in particular with the 'Asian values' debates of the 1990s. It is especially concerned with the tension between a universal regime of human rights and its ability to accommodate diversity. Incorporating original fieldwork from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, the book also draws out the significance of Southeast Asian developments for the international human rights discourse. The book advances beyond the stalemate that the 'Asian values' debate has reached, developing an intermediary stance between the competing claims of universalism and relativism. Drawing on the work of Cass Sunstein and Chantal Mouffe, the theoretical contribution of the book will ensure its relevance to readers with a general interest in human rights. This book is likely to become a definitive account of contemporary political discussions of human rights in Southeast Asia and an important contribution to the development of human rights theory."--Jacket.