Alliance against corruption<\/p>\n
The remarkable success of the FPSB, a forum of civil society
\norganizations (CSOs) in West Sumatra, last month, to bring 43
\ncorrupt members of the West Sumatra provincial legislative
\ncouncil to justice has created several markedly positive
\ndevelopments in the fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
First, the rulings by the district court in Padang have raised
\nthe momentum for developing more strategic alliances between CSOs
\nand state institutions for combating corruption (see another
\narticle also on this page).<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry signed last week a three-year
\ncooperation agreement with Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and
\nGreenomis Indonesia to fight corruption within the management of
\nforest resources.<\/p>\n
Under this program, the two CSOs have free access to data and
\ninformation on the ministry's areas of activities that are highly
\nvulnerable to corruption, such as the awarding of forest
\nconcessions, logging operations, dealing with illegal loggers and
\nthe auction of illegal timber by the ministry.<\/p>\n
Several other corruption watchdogs, including Transparency
\nInternational Indonesia and the Partnership for Governance Reform
\nin Indonesia, are also helping several regency administrations to
\nestablish islands of integrity within an ocean of corruption.<\/p>\n
Even though they remain free pending their appeals, the Padang
\ndistrict court verdicts of 24 months to 27 months in prison and
\nfines of US$10,000 to $21,000 on the provincial legislators serve
\nas a strong warning that the penalties for corruptors have now
\nbecome much higher, as the chances of being caught and being
\nbrought to justice have increased.<\/p>\n
The FPSB achievement, which capped more than a year of
\ntireless efforts, has also sparked a high sense of optimism in a
\npublic that has become desperate about the drive against
\ncorruption, such that whenever there is the will on the part of
\nofficials and active oversight by the public through CSOs,
\ncorruptors can no longer be regarded as untouchable.<\/p>\n
Just witness how dozens of other legislators in more than 10
\nprovinces and regencies are now either under prosecution or
\ninvestigation by the police and district attorneys on charges of
\ncorruption. This wave of developments is greatly comforting amid
\npublic apprehension that local autonomy, launched in 2001, would
\nmerely redistribute corruption from Jakarta to the provinces and
\nregencies.<\/p>\n
Yet more important is that the combating of corruption within
\nlegislative councils is quite a strategic move to develop good
\ngovernance because one of the primary functions of legislators is
\nto control and hold administrations to account under effective
\nchecks and balances.<\/p>\n
Moreover, it is also greatly comforting to note that alliances
\nbetween CSOs and state institutions, besides being effective in
\nhandling corruption, cost the government nothing. Such joint
\nundertakings require only a willingness on the part of the state
\ninstitutions to put themselves under full scrutiny by CSOs, as in
\nthe case of cooperation between the Ministry of Forestry and the
\ntwo CSOs.<\/p>\n
This cooperation is quite important, especially in the absence
\nof legislation on free access to information within areas of
\npublic interest, which the public in Thailand has enjoyed under
\nthe Freedom of Information Act since 1997.<\/p>\n
The Center for Legal Research of the University of Andalas --
\na CSO member of the FPSB -- provided the Provincial Prosecutor's
\nOffice in Padang with legal assistance in building solid
\ncorruption cases against the 43 legislators.<\/p>\n
The experience of other countries that have had remarkable
\nsuccess in fighting corruption demonstrates how CSOs, the media,
\nlegislators, the judiciary and the private sector should be
\ninvolved with full voice and empowerment to make the drive
\nagainst corruption more effective.<\/p>\n
The alleged smuggling of more than 56,000 etric tons of sugar
\nthrough the Jakarta seaport of Tanjung Priok would not have been
\ninvestigated so intensively had not the Association of Sugarcane
\nFarmers aggressively campaigned, in cooperation with the media,
\nto keep the case firmly in the spotlight.<\/p>\n
A recent visit by a delegation from the House of
\nRepresentatives Energy and Mining Commission to Hong Kong and
\nSouth Korea two weeks ago would not have become a national issue
\nhad not the trade union at Pertamina and several CSOs, including
\nthe Professional Civil Society (MPM),campaigned aggressively to
\nlink that overseas visit to the controversial sale of two Very
\nLarge Crude Carriers by the state oil and gas company.<\/p>\n
So effective have been public opinion pressures arising from
\nthe campaign that Pertamina provided last week comprehensive
\ninformation on the tanker sales.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, there is still a need for more strategic
\nalliances between CSOs and state institutions, especially those
\nhighly vulnerable to corruption such as tax and customs offices,
\nthe state police and the judiciary.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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