Human Rights and Asia

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Human Rights and Asia

• Lindy Stirling
• Contemporary Issues

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What are Human Rights?

• Interrelated, interdependent and indivisible
• Universal and inalienable
• Equal and non-discriminatory
• Both Rights and Obligations
• International Bill of Human Rights

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What are Human Rights?

• Making it plain with a little help from your
  friends

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Who signed UDHR in 1948?

• Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Belgium,
  Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chile, China,
  Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, the
  Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
  Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti,
  Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia,
  Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand,
  Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay,
  Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Sweden, Syria,
  Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay
  and Venezuela.

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Asian Countries signed ICESCR?

• Bangladesh 1998, Cambodia 1992, China 2001,
  Democratic People's Republic of Korea 1981, India
  1979, Indonesia 2006, Japan 1979, Lao People's
  Democratic Republic 2007, Maldives 2006, Nepal
  1991, Pakistan 2008, Philippines 1974, Republic
  of Korea 1990, Sri Lanka 1980, Thailand 1999,
  Timor-Leste 2003, VietNam 1982.

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Asian Countries signed ICCPR?

• Bangladesh 2000, Cambodia 1992, China 1998,
  Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea 1981, India
  1981, Indonesia 2006, Japan 1979, Lao Peoples
  Democratic Republic 2009, Maldives 2006,
  Mauritius 1973, Nepal 1991, Pakistan 2008,
  Philippines 1986, Republic of Korea 1990, Sri
  Lanka 1980, Thailand 1996, Timor-Leste 2003,
  VietNam 1982

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Is it binding?

• Human rights are set out as principles in the
  Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A
  declaration is not legally binding. It lays out
  principles and objectives and carries moral
  weight.

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Is it binding?

• A covenant, convention or treaty, unlike a
  declaration, has the force of law.
• The broadest legally binding human rights
  agreements negotiated under UN auspices are the
  International Covenant on Civil and Political
  Rights and the International Covenant on
  Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

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6 Treaty monitoring bodies

• Committees of
• Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Human Rights
• Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• against Torture
• the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
• the Rights of the Child
• The Articles of the Charter have the force of
  positive international law because the Charter is
  a treaty and therefore a legally binding document.

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What is the background of the UDHR?
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Opposition to UDHR

• Islamic criticism
• Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
• Bangkok Declaration
• World Conference on Human Rights
• The Right to Refuse to Kill

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HR issues prominent in media

• Brainstorm issues you can recall from the recent
  media around Human Rights in Australia/Asia.
• Can you sort them by the 30 Articles?

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Issues to consider

• What emphasis/perspective does the exploration of
  HR in a country give?
• How do we get a range of views about an issue?
• Examine articles from the handout

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Teaching Human Rights

• What resources are available for Asia and Human
  Rights?
• Pageflakes Human Rights and Asia
  http//www.pageflakes.com/lindystirling/29760920

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Hard copy resources
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Websites - from the online guide

• See the updated sheet

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Websites - from Amnesty

• Understanding human rights
• Tour of human rights - Amnesty International
  Canada
• Human Rights Resources and Links UN
  Cyberschoolbus
• This is my home - University of Minnesota Human
  Rights Center
• What are human rights? HREOC
• Understanding Human Rights - Compass
• Glossary of human rights terms
• Questions and answers about human rights
• Frequently asked questions on human rights -
  HREOC
• Questions and Answers What are human rights? -
  Compass
• Questions and Answers Protecting Human Rights -
  BBC
• Origins of human rights
• The origins of modern human rights laws HREOC
• The evolution of human rights Compass

The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Plain language version with notes on each
article UN Cyberschoolbus The 30 Articles of
the UDHR with photos How the Universal
Declaration developed Human Rights photos
United Nations Other International Human Rights
Agreements International Human Rights Agreements
Poverty and Human rights Povery and Human Rights
- Amnesty International Amnesty International's
history and work Amnesty International history
Amnesty International Canada Amnesty
Internationals 40 years flash html
presentation Games Wants Needs game UNICEF
UK Games and activities Amnesty International
USA
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Contact Lindy Stirling 9637 3620
96372040 stirling.lindy.j_at_edumail.vic.go
v.au