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'Asian values' was a concept that came into vogue in the 1990s, predicated on the belief in the existence in Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the region's culture and history. Although there are indeed many differences in Eastern and Western ideas, philosophy, etc., there is no single set of "Asian" values. Nethertheless, like their Western counterparts, Eastern countries can be said to share some values, a simple example being the death penalty, which is legal in China and some other Asian countries but today considered immoral in some Western countries.

Contents

Definition

Political Significance

Critics of "Asian Values"

References

Other

See also

External links

Definition

Because the proponents of the concept came from different cultural backgrounds, no single definition of the term exists, but typically "Asian values" encompasses some influences of Confucianism, in particular loyalty towards the family, corporation, and nation; the forgoing of personal freedom for the sake of society's stability and prosperity; the pursuit of academic and technological excellence; and work ethic and thrift. Proponents of "Asian values", who tend to support Asian-style authoritarian governments, claim they are more appropriate for the region than the democratic values and institutions of the West. A frequent criticism is that the idea of "Asian values" is most promoted by the elites who benefit from authoritarian rule, rather than the wider populace of their nation.
A summary list of 'Asian Values' would include a distinctively 'Asian':
# predisposition towards strong and stable leadership rather than political pluralism;
# respect for social harmony and an inclination towards consensus as opposed to a tendency towards dissent or confrontation;
# acceptance of broad and penetrating state and bureaucratic intervention in social and economic affairs;
# concern with socio-economic well-being instead of civil liberties and human rights; and
# preference for the welfare and collective well-being of the community over individual rights.

Political Significance

The concept of "Asian values" was a popular idea in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and India, and also in some political circles in Japan . In Malaysia and Singapore, the concept of Asian values was embraced partly because it reconciled Islam, the religion of the Malays, with the Confucianism of the ethnic Chinese, and Hinduism, thereby helping to create a sense of common values between different ethnic and religious groups in those countries, as well as forming an ideology that could challenge the West. In Japan, it was popular among some nationalist circles because it challenged the West and also offered the possibility of Japanese leadership in a new Asia.
Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew, at that time the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore, respectively, were particularly vocal advocates of Asian values. Fareed Zakaria has written extensively on Asian values, while Amartya Sen has been one of the concept's strongest critics. Some critics of the term argue that no universal "Asian" value system exists, because the cultural diversity of Asia is too great for there to be a single set of common values across the region. The suggestion that a set of 'Asian values' operated throughout the Asian region, or even just in East Asia, contradicts what we know about the presence of long-standing religious (Islamic, Hindu, Confucian, Buddhist) and other divisions in the region, and of the major social and cultural transformation that has been underway, especially in the last decade or so.
The concept of "Asian values" began to lose currency after the Asian financial crisis weakened the economies of many Asian countries, leading to the collapse of the Suharto regime in Indonesia. Some consider these values to have contributed to the crisis. When the crisis spread worldwide, the blame subsided.^[1]
A sharp observation may suggest that speaking in the name of Asian values serves the purpose of forming a robust counter force in Asia, and most particularly in China, to the nations which most clearly represent values of individual freedom . One way or the other, the use of the term is capable in itself of creating a significant dialogue between continents of the world, and between human ideas in all fields.
An important aspect of the concept of the above mentioned Asian values systems is that many agree that there should be room for democratic and scientific decision-making and thought being a driving force for any universally accepted values system, especially given that resort to such thought is highly verifiable by all concerned independent of subjective values-systems held.
In 2006 Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla linked the concepts of Asian Values with the proposed East Asian Free Trade Agreement and East Asian Community arising from the East Asia Summit. He defined Asian Values as placing emphasis on co-operation over competition. [1]

Critics of "Asian Values"

Taiwan social-politics critic Long Ying Tai notes that Asian values are merely a doublespeak on suppressing universal values of Freedom of speech and Human rights.
Asian political figures who expressed criticism of the idea of Asian values are the former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Lee Teng-hui, and former President of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), Kim Dae Jung.

References

1. Paul Krugman. Latin America's Swan Song. Extracted October 30, 2006.

Other

★ Loh kok Wah, Francis & Khoo Boo Teik. "Democracy in Malaysia: Discourses and Practices" Curzon Press, Richmond Surrey, 2002.

★ Surain Subramaniam. "The Asian Values Debate: Implications for the Spread of Liberal Democracy" Asian Affairs. March 2000.

See also

★ Nihonjinron

★ pan-Asianism

External links

★ Human Rights and Asian Values: What Lee Kuan Yew and Le Peng don't understand about Asia by Amartya Sen.

★ The Illusion of Exceptionalism by Francis Fukuyama

★ "Asian Values" and the Universality of Human Rights by Xiaorong Li

★ What's Happened to Asian Values? by Anthony Milner