NRC anti-graft panel offers 3-punch strategy

The panel’s secretary Wasan Phaileeklee said it had come up with a “three-punch” approach to fight corruption: instilling morality, prevention and suppression. 

Wasan said people need to be |educated about how corruption |is morally wrong and bad for the country, and that each individual needs |to join the fight against it. 

The NRC has also launched the “Thais are not corrupt” campaign, which Wasan said would encourage people to end the practice, citing the local saying: “Ghosts are afraid of light, just like crooks are afraid of transparency”. 

As for prevention, Wasan said providing public information, implementing related laws and a better monitoring of the government’s advertising budget, which is often used for personal benefit, would help fight graft. 

“The best suppression tool for corruption is prevention,” Wasan said. “The saying ‘corruption in this life will be punished in the next’, should no longer be applicable as an effective fight against corruption. We should also include a reformed justice system. Now I expect each case to be taken care of within four or five years, instead of 16 like a recently judged case.” 

Transparency Thailand’s secretary-general, Juree Wijitwatakarn said a core weapon against corruption would be a focus on morality. 

“We have to make this fight against corruption a way of life,” Juree said.

However, she admitted that the vague idea of ethics in Thai society and an unclear distinction between right and wrong could be blamed for such widespread corruption.