Theories of Human Rights: Which One Does Indonesia Follow?

Universalism Theory

This theory views human rights as universal, meaning that human rights are possessed by every individual regardless of the values or culture of a society or country.

The existence of this theory can be seen in our country, which also recognizes and ratifies various international human rights covenants, such as the ratification of the ICCPR through Law Number 12 of 2005. Which means various international conventions certainly adhere to universal human rights values.

Cultural Relativism Theory

In principle, this theory asserts that human rights must be placed within a specific cultural context and rejects the notion of universal rights.

The embodiment of this theory can be seen in the various reservations to international covenants, where some provisions of these covenants are not fully adopted by our country because they are considered contrary to the existing cultural values in Indonesia.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that Indonesia does not lean towards a single theory in the adoption of human rights values, but several theories can be found in the implementation of human rights in our country.

Endnote:

[1] Rahayu, Human Rights Law (Semarang: Universitas Diponegoro Publishing Agency, 2015), 9.

[2]Ibid.

[3] Ibid. 19.

[4] Ibid. 21.

[5] Ibid. 22.

References

• Rahayu. 2015. Human Rights Law. Semarang: Universitas Diponegoro Publishing Agency.
• Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights