Opinion

COMMENTARY

Fighting Corruption Begins at Home

By KYAW ZWA MOE Thursday, March 15, 2012

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On Wednesday, the state-run New Light of Myanmar reported that the Ministry of Mines will sue the Rangoon-based journal The Voice for publishing allegations of corruption.

If Shwe Mann and others who claim to want a clean government are sincere, they will begin their anti-corruption drive with a full disclosure of their own wealth and that of their closest relatives. And they must also ensure that any commission they create to address this issue is independent and fully empowered to prosecute offenders under laws that treat corruption as the social cancer that it is.

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COMMENTS (13)

Ma Thitsa Wrote:

23/03/2012

Ko Kyaw Zwa ,,,a great piece of analysis...we need to change the mind set of the Burmese people es pecially differentiating between needs and wants.. gift-giving cultural values which are common to traditional cultures have been used for non-transparent and self serving purposes --very demeaning to self integrity and self-respect... we need to teach our people the beauty of traditional values before we can embark on meaningful reforms.

SuuMaung Wrote:

20/03/2012

Doing business in Burma…There’re only very few companies doing all those humungous business, & easily countable. Those generals’ sons, daughters, in-laws, very closed to Than Shwe or Mg Aye, their cronies. Once our country was one of the richest countries in SEA, now we are one of the poorest, but we do have billionaires and you know who they are. Seems like the US and Western Countries are being tricked by this cruel, crooked military regime. Just think only one thing, all of a sudden this military regime would change within 3-4 months from what they've been practiced for more than 40 years. Currently what they are trying to accomplish is ‘To get the sanctions lifted, so they can transfer their monies & their assets. That’s all they wanted. I hope Ah Ma won't fall into their tricks. So please be very careful Ah Ma, & also please send this message to Obama & all western countries.
Yes, Fighting Corruption Begins at all those Bogyokes’ & their Cronies’ homes.

Peter Ole Kvint Wrote:

19/03/2012

Corruption is also a part of religion in Burma. Where people sacrifice to evil spirits that they must stay away.

mehreh Wrote:

18/03/2012

This is good information that i need to domestic video events.

Simon Wrote:

17/03/2012

It is not correct that Burma has a corruption tradition,as far as I remember,this whole thing started with dictator Than Shwe(especially his daughter's multi-million dollars wedding).
It is true that the powerful Generals who are corrupted are still in positions of power,and that is the sad part.

Kyansittha Wrote:

17/03/2012

GREED is the ROOT CAUSE of ALL WOES in Burma today.
Lord Buddha said, "KILL GREED and NIRVANA IS ACHIEVED".
Yes, CORRUPTION CORRECTION must COMMENCE from TOP (Than Shwe, Thein Sein, Tin Aung Myint Oo, Shwe Mann, Kyaw Hsan amongst others) DOWN (cronies and doormen as well).
Ne Win STOLE Burma's GOLD and FOREIGN RESERVES only.
Than Shwe led rogues at Naypyidaw STOLE BURMA'S NATURAL RESOURCES WHOLESALE.
And they SOLD their SOULS, the IRRAWADDY and ETHNIC ANCESTRAL LANDS to the Chinese GHOULS in Beijing as well.
Daw Suu's CALLS for RULE of LAW would HOLD NO WATER as long as Than Shwe, Thein Sein, Tin Aung Myint Oo, Shwe Mann, Kyaw Hsan and others HOLD SWAY in Naypyidaw trust me.
And even CONQUERING A SEAT in Thein Sein held APRIL FOOL'S DAY ELECTIONS for that matter WOULDN'T MAKE MATTERS BETTER lest Daw Suu forgets.

pps12345 Wrote:

17/03/2012

Burma should find third party to check corruption in Burma. When I was in Nay Pyi daw in 2008, I found that one company closer to the prime minister at that time at project with double value of profit without competing with other personal or companies. This is called Quotas among ruling elites in Burma. This is true but Burmese Media accept that is the right of Burmese leader. This is called Burma.

tocharian Wrote:

16/03/2012

It's all B's in Burma: Bribery and Bullying
In China it's all C's: Coercion and Coercion
Same thing!

More seriously, I think that it is true that Burma has always had a tradition of being ruled by an oligarchy (who's your daddy?) using patronage and appanage as carrot and stick to control and give favours. What Burma needs is a "French Revolution" of sorts.

The Burmese Chamber of Commerc Wrote:

16/03/2012

Foreign investors be extra careful.

Doing business in Burma is not as easy and direct as ever.

Pleasing and bribing till it burns through the pocket and yet nothing is the norm.

The Vietnamese and the Chinese are experts.

KML Wrote:

16/03/2012

This is a very remarkable article to be read by all pages of politics in Burma today. We will have democracy and ethnic peace one day, but it wouldn’t be that easy to eradicate corruption. It is well known that no country is free from corruption including those in high ranking with TI , but the corruption there is just once in a blue moon, slipped through the system and quite detectable and manageable. In Burma corruption has been established and accepted as a form of culture, meaning everyone involved. If you do not involve, you will be like ‘drinking the water of legendary bitter rain’. Some of the noble Burmese cultural hospitality such as paying respect to teachers, offering gift to newly wed, and now turned in to a form of corruption. In the early 90s, the new in MTV had been full of donations from businessmen. In fact, the donation is absolute corruption as you give 2 million in order to get a contract worth 50 million. Efficient tax system does not require any donation.

kerry Wrote:

16/03/2012

It is not necessary to point out corruption. Everyone knows who and how. It is not necessary for a new Burma (or any country) to be corrupt.

Clearly to avoid Crimes against Humanity there will need to be audits and explanations. This is not something the military and cronies can threaten about. They can however negotiate. The fairest person to negotiate with would be Aung San Suu Kyi.

The wealth was created from much suffering and many deaths, tortures and killings. This is unacceptable in the 21st C. Just as China (and Putin etc) seemed to miss the last many decades of growth and global learning, and now look silly, so too the Burmese military were stuck in the past.

They are not the owners of Burma. They are a sad anachronism, who don't get it yet.

Moe Aung Wrote:

16/03/2012

Well, when the fox remains in charge of the chicken coop what do you expect? All the lip service, PR and even going through the motions of clean govt do not amount to any kind of transparency. The kleptocracy is entrenched, and they can't possibly give up the life style they have got so accustomed to.

Wolfgang , Hong Kong Wrote:

16/03/2012

excellent article Kyaw Zwa , TKX !