This book makes a major contribution to the theory and practice of human rights, engaging in particular with the "Asian values" debate. 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 international human rights discourse. It is likely to become a definitive account of political discussions of human rights in Southeast Asia and an important contribution to the...

This book makes a major contribution to the theory and practice of human rights, engaging in particular with the "Asian values" debate. 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 international human rights discourse. It is likely to become a definitive account of political discussions of human rights in Southeast Asia and an important contribution to the...

The political project of extending democracy to the global level is seen as the next major challenge for proponents of democracy. This volume considers some of the difficulties which need to be overcome for this extension to take place. The issues discussed include:

• Philosophical and theoretical questions about the nature of democracy and the justification of its values
• Pressing political considerations, such as the crucial role of elections in democracy promotion
• Legal developments, such as the role of international law and judicial...