“The basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, often held to include the right to life and liberty, freedom of thought and expression, and equality before the law.”

None of us enjoys being wrongly accused. We resist being told what to think and believe and prefer to make our own choices. We feel we should be able to freely voice our own opinions. We like to be treated equally with others.

Each of these is a human right: the right to a fair hearing, the right to freedom of expression, the right to freedom of conscience, and the right not to be discriminated against. There are many other rights, such as the right to life and human dignity, the right to an education and the right to form groups.

Human rights are based on respect for each individual. Those whose rights have been violated feel a strong sense of resentment. If they have no means to remedy the injustices, it simmers and may break out in what we recognize as civil disorder, ethnic conflicts and other disturbances. Government officials then feel they must become increasingly repressive to hold down the potential violence in the society.

It is a vicious circle, leading in the end to conflict between the oppressor and the oppressed.