Corruption Summit Opens as World's 'Most Corrupt Leader' Dies
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 29 (OneWorld) - Hundreds of international officials, business leaders, and civil society activists have gathered in Indonesia this week for a major UN conference on corruption. At the same time, a week-long period of mourning began in the country to honor a political leader deemed to be one of the most corrupt in world history.
Suharto, who died Sunday in a hospital bed, was accused of massive corruption and human rights abuses. He agreed to step down in 1998 only after democracy activists posed a serious challenge to his U.S.-backed regime through street power. Critics charge that during Suharto's rule he and his family extorted billions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes. In 1999, a Time magazine story claimed that during his rule, Suharto amassed about $73 billion. In response to the Time story, Suharto sued the magazine and was awarded more than $100 million in damages. The magazine, which still stands by its claim, was preparing for an appeal against the defamation ruling when Suharto died. In 2004, Transparency International (TI), a Germany-based nonprofit organization that monitors worldwide cases of corrupt governing and business practices, placed Suharto at the top of its corruption list. The group's investigations showed his illegal income ranged between $15 billion and $35 billion. TI named Suharto the world's most corrupt political figure "of all time."
TI leadership has not commented on the impact of Suharto's death on the the future of corruption cases linked to his regime. On the eve of the UN conference, however, it warned delegates of a possible failure if they did not submit "rigorous" reports about corruption in their own countries. At Bali, about 140 countries are participating in the debate on the question of how to strengthen the UN Convention Against Corruption and improve its implementation. Adopted in 2003, the treaty represents an international consensus on the need for collective action to stem corrupt practices worldwide. "Without the development of a concrete plan to assess country progress in implementing the treaty, the convention will be nothing more than a dead letter, robbing the most vulnerable of their best chance at a better life, " said TI Chair Huguette Labelle. TI, which is part of a global coalition of prominent civil society groups, including Oxfam International and the Institute for Security Studies, holds that a global framework for cooperation measures and universally agreed standards for government performance are a must to combat corruption. The treaty requires that official delegates submit their country reports about corruption at the meeting. But civil society activists say those measures are not being taken seriously by many governments.
"That's why we're pushing for dates and concrete plans about how the states parties to the convention want to assess the success of their implementation. This meeting here in Indonesia is the moment." "This is an opportunity for governments to demonstrate their accountability and their commitment to fighting corruption," Dell continued. Though mindful that corruption is more pervasive in developing countries, Dell and others are also critical of the behavior of rich industrialized countries, especially those within the fold of the Group of 8 (G8) nations. They point out that G8 members Germany, Italy, and Japan have yet to ratify the UN convention, even though they signed it about four years ago. Other key global financial centers such as Singapore, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have also failed to ratify the treaty, which is not a good sign for the treaty's implementation, according to critics who also noted that delegates from a number of signatory countries were missing at Bali. So far, only 107 countries have ratified the treaty. In a statement, TI and other groups urged the private sector and civil society organizations to increase their participation in the fight against corruption, even though some governments remained hostile to that approach. Opening the conference in Bali Monday, Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, made a similar call. "Every one has a role to play, not only governments, but also parliamentarians, business, civil society, the media, and the average citizens," he said. "Corruption hurts us all, therefore fighting it is a shared responsibility." That shared responsibility remains a heavy burden in Indonesia even though Suharto is no longer alive to accept his guilt. "In Indonesia, corruption is public enemy number one," acknowledged the political affairs minister, who boasted that his country has managed to create enough of a "fear factor to deter corruptors." A civil case was pending against Suharto at the time of his death, with the Indonesian government seeking $1.4 billion allegedly siphoned from student scholarship programs during his rule. Prosecutors are expected to name at least one of Suharto's heirs to stand trial in his place, as Indonesian law allows, but the case is now on hold until Feb. 12 to respect the national period of mourning. The Indonesian president was absent from the UN conference opening Monday as he paid his last tribute to Suharto. ....................................................................................
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"Attempts to Combat Corruption Deserve Better"Author:
Frank Richardson
Time: 01/30/2008 21:00
Comment: This article, while of great interest, starts off with two significant inaccuracies that undermine its credibility: Bali is not a "resort town", but Indonesia's highest profile island and Suharto did not rule Indonesia for "well over a decade", but for over three decades! Why, too, don't you have the professionalism to name the U.N. anti-corruption treaty referred to, the President of Indonesia and the Indonesian Political Affairs Minister who mentioned the "fear factor" to deter the corrupt and pass comment on just how well his approach seems to be working. Likewise, it would be good to be told how long the summit will go on for and where on Bali it is being held. Anti-corruption efforts are far too thin on the ground and, thus, when they do occur, deserve the benefit of better coverage than this. Here's a link that should help you fill in the gaps: http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20080130221609&irec=1
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