Abstract
The debate on cultural relativism in the application of human rights was quite intense in Asia, especially in the 1990s. The concept of so-called Asian values, which were supposed to form a kind of counterpart to human rights, featured prominently.
The biggest proponents of the Asian values theory were the Singaporean politician Lee Kuan Yew and the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Other supporters included representatives of China, such as Premier Li Peng.
With the significant economic expansion and growth of the Asian states, there was a growing need in some of them (in view of their colonial past) to break away from Western influence and to define themselves against the West. In particular, Mohamad advocated that Asian values be seen as the essence of Asia's economic growth.
Indeed, the main premise of Asian values rested on the argument of cultural relativism and the fundamental differences between Western and Asian culture.