Asia Pacific and Human Rights A Global Political Economy Perspective New Regionalisms Series

Human rights are acquiring an increasingly prominent role on the world stage. Interest in, concern about and action on human rights are widespread and rising, albeit in a far from globally even, uniform and untroubled fashion. Human rights have generated a booming global industry while having become, not unconnectedly, highly controversial and deeply contested. Human rights matters have emerged as a major source of disagreement, dispute and discord at and between the local, regional and global levels of social, cultural, political and economic life. These developments are addressed in the book by an examination of the links between the evolving global human rights regime (GHRR) and the character and course of human rights in the world's most dynamic, complex and problematic region, that of the Asia Pacific. The authors argue that although the Asia Pacific and human rights nexus is influenced by cultural clashes, it is largely shaped by power distributions and struggles rooted in the global political economy (GPE). The prevailing GHRR reflects the way in which globalization processes have been Western led, but its future is far from certain given the current shift in the balance of GPE power towards the Asia Pacific, and especially East Asia.

Contents: Introduction; Setting the scene; Power, politics and the idea of human rights; Asian ways; The Asia Pacific game of human rights; Asia pacific realism and human rights; Asia pacific regionalism and human rights; The meaning of human rights and the uncertainty of death; Political rights of non-nationals: the constitutional debate in Japan; Indigenous peoples of the Asia Pacific: a case study of the Ainu; Globalization, sovereignty, international law and human rights; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

Professor Paul Close and David Askew, Associate Professor, specialize in Asia Pacific Studies at the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan.