Today is Human Rights Day Human rights is a much misunderstood and maligned concept in Sri Lanka. It is sometimes seen as a Western notion and not in keeping with the culture of the country. However, people forget that human rights are universal rights that existed here long before there was contact with nations on the other side of the world. The criticism of human rights as a concept came in the 1990s when leaders of some Asian states connected human rights to Western ideology that promoted individualism in contrast to Asian values that were more community-oriented. It was also claimed that human rights were a luxury that less developed countries could not afford and that economic development should remain the priority.