Welcome UNCAC<\/p>\n
Dec. 9, 2003, which has been declared Anti-Corruption Day by
\nthe United Nations, was marked by the Indonesian people as an
\nadditional starting point for the campaign against corruption, as
\nthe United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) was
\nsigned in Merida (Mexico).<\/p>\n
At least 125 countries sent their representatives, including
\nIndonesian delegates, although Minister of Justice Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra \"technically\" signed the declaration on Dec. 18, 2003,
\nat UN Headquarters in New York. It means that this world body may
\nintervene in chronic Indonesian corruption cases, and of course
\nwould cooperate with the \"powerful\" Corruption Eradication
\nCommission (KPK) -- as the treaty is designed to accomplish -- to
\nuncover corruption, detect illicit funds and return them to the
\ncountries from which they were stolen (The Jakarta Post, Dec.
\n11).<\/p>\n
By signing the treaty, it would really be a high hope for the
\nmajority of Indonesians to see corruption brought to an end as
\nseveral points of the convention bind us to eradicate corruption
\nthrough an obligation to declare corruption, bribery, abuse of
\nstate assets and power as criminal activities.<\/p>\n
A new breakthrough as mentioned above is the detection and the
\nreturn of illicit funds to the countries from which they were
\nstolen, meaning that countries that become the seat of illicit
\nfunds are obliged to return them to where they were stolen. This
\nis really a new green light to resolve the lingering and dragging
\nsocial problems that have crippled our country for too long.<\/p>\n
It (the treaty) will be a strong \"weapon\" for the KPK to
\nreturn ill-gotten funds deposited in foreign countries. These new
\nhopes, of course, need the support of all layers of society.<\/p>\n
All these would show to the people, as U.S. Attorney General
\nJohn Ashcroft said in Mexico, that corruption, which represents a
\ntax on the poor and steals from the needy to enrich the wealthy
\n(the Post Dec. 11), would find no more place in Indonesia in the
\nyears to come.<\/p>\n
M. RUSDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/welcome-uncac-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }