The Anti-corruption campaign<\/p>\n
A number of politicians from the House of Representatives
\n(DPR) have commented positively on President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono's declaration on Dec. 9 to crack down on corruption.
\nOne of them, Maiyasyak Johan, a member of the DPR's Commission
\nIII, came up with two proposals for Yudhoyono to immediately deal
\nwith the problem.<\/p>\n
Firstly, arrest and bring big corruptors to justice who have
\namassed trillions of rupiah of people's money and taken it with
\nthem abroad; and secondly, bring those people to justice who
\nallow corruptors to flee the country, as in the latest case of
\nSudjiono Timan (Rakyat Merdeka, Dec. 11). Yudhoyono's declaration
\nof a national action plan against corruption, as the DPR
\npoliticians commented, gave good momentum to cure the nation from
\nthe disease of corruption, and deserved public support.<\/p>\n
However, the government and politicians somehow stopped short
\nof using an already declared treaty of Dec. 9, 2003, i.e., the
\nUnited Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), that helps
\nmember states crack down on corruptors fleeing abroad. They seem
\nto have forgotten that prior to signing the convention, the
\ngovernment requested the DPR to deliberate and ratify it, which
\nthey have not yet done.<\/p>\n
Aside from the ratification of UNCAC, there is another
\nimportant element that helps uncover corruption that the DPR has
\nyet to deliberate, i.e., the bill on the protection of whistle-
\nblowers. This bill is badly needed as whistle-blowers are in
\ndanger whenever they reveal corrupt practices committed by state
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
One instance of a whistle-blower being persecuted as the case
\nof Kito Irkhamni, an official of the Attorney General's Office
\nwho is now in jail for an unrelated matter, who revealed the then
\nAttorney General M.A. Rachman's controversial house in Graha
\nCinere, Depok.<\/p>\n
We should learn from South Korea's law on the protection of
\nwhistle-blowers, which besides guaranteeing their safety
\nprotecting their identities, also provides rewards if their
\nreports prove to be true.<\/p>\n
The war drums against corruption are being beaten by the
\ngovernment, and all elements of society, including the DPR, have
\nlent their support. We now need the DPR to speedily deliberate
\nthe ratification of the UNCAC, and enact a law for the protection
\nof whistle-blowers, as the success of the action plan depends
\nvery much on this.<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-anti-corruption-campaign-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }