'Democracy and free press could wipe out corruption'<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): A democratic political system, including the
\npresence of a free press, could eliminate corruption which is
\nrampant in the Indonesian bureaucracy, sociologist Loekman
\nSoetrisno said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Given that all other methods of eliminating corruption has
\nfailed, the only recourse available now in fact is a more
\ndemocratic political system and a free press, he said.<\/p>\n
\"I wasn't surprised to hear that Indonesia has been called the
\nworld's most corrupt country besides China. The situation is so
\nappalling and chronic,\" the staff lecturer of the Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity in Yogyakarta told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Now, he added, there is a good momentum for Indonesia to
\nlaunch a massive drive to eliminate corruption, pointing out to a
\ngrowing international movement, led by the media, to expose cases
\nof corruption to the public.<\/p>\n
He said the mass media could make the biggest contribution
\nbecause corrupt officials would think twice before \"robbing\"
\ntheir own country if they knew that they risked public exposure.<\/p>\n
Question<\/p>\n
\"The media is our hope,\" he said. \"The only question now is
\nwhether the press is courageous enough to expose corruption cases
\nin an objective manner. This, for me, is still the big question.\"<\/p>\n
The role of the media in exposing corruption cases came under
\nclose scrutiny last month following the barrage of media
\npublicity about the allegations of misconduct by Minister of
\nTransportation Haryanto Dhanutirto.<\/p>\n
When the minister was cleared of the allegations by President
\nSoeharto, the newspapers that had led the campaign were widely
\ncriticized for failing to maintain their objectivity. The
\nAssociation of Indonesian Journalists also criticized some of its
\nmembers for failing to uphold the presumption of innocence in the
\nway they treated the Haryanto affair.<\/p>\n
The affair has provoked a clamor for a new campaign to wipe
\nout corruption in the country.<\/p>\n
Loekman said past anti-corruption campaigns failed for two
\nreasons: The number of government officials who are not corrupt
\nhave become fewer and that most corruption cases were solved
\npolitically outside the court system. (har\/emb)<\/p>",
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