KUALA LUMPUR, July 29: The United States and European Union today clashed with Asian countries over a proposal by Malaysia to review the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

The two Western allies steadfastly objected to the review, calling it a serious attempt to ``dilute'' the Declaration, drawing a heated rebuttal especially from Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Philippines.

The exchange took place during a joint press conference at the end of two-day ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) post-ministerial conference here.

The proposal was mooted by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad over the weekend but was officialy not discussed during the ASEAN meetings.Malaysian Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said ``they (US) have various strong views (on the issue) but we do also have equally strong views.'' ``When we're talking of human rights, naturally it has something to do with the situation we are in, our own experience and our own expectations and what we want to achieve,'' Bernama news agency quoted him saying.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen said ``if we need to have a uniform standard on the question of human rights then I think that we have yet to have one judge that is capable of determining whether a country is right or wrong as far as human rights are concerned.''

He criticised United States for issuing an annual human rights report of other countries but not its own. US Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Under Secretary Stuart E Eizenstat, said ``we find it remarkable that now as we are about to enter a new century ... That there would be a serious effort to dilute or undermine... universal values.'' UN Declaration did not represent the US or western values but a set of universal values that respects the individual, he said.

EU representative and Dutch Deputy Foreign Minister Michiel Patgin said EU was ``extremely reluctant to embark on such an exercise.'' Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said it was unlikely that the proposal for review would gain enough support.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas said he was surprised that a suggestion to review the declaration was immediately interpreted as a dilution of individual rights. Alatas said ``everybody knows that human rights does not only consist of individual, political or civil rights. It now has grown in perception in the world and people are now much more aware that economic rights, cultural rights and social rights are just as important.''

He said there should be ``proportionality in treating with all these rights and therefore in the light of the passage of time, I don't think we should be so absolutist in saying that there is no place for a review.'' Malaysian Deputy Premier Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia was only calling for the review of specific provisions while it adhered to the fundamental and universal principles of the charter.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.