Unveiling the real killer of human rights

I am speaking of the Thais whose basic human right to a better life was taken away by the grand scheme of corruption carried out by the previous government, and fraud committed by people in high office in one government after another. These are the taxpayers who have been left staring helplessly as their hard-earned money is diverted into the pockets of politicians and powerful bureaucrats instead of going to national education or social development. These are people who have absolutely no power to halt the pilfering of the country’s coffers being carried out in broad daylight without an iota of shame. These are the real victims of human rights violations in Thailand.

To put things in perspective, here are the words of former UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, Navi Pillay:

“Corruption is an enormous obstacle to the realisation of all human rights – civil, political, economic, social and cultural, as well as the right to development. Corruption violates the core human rights principles of transparency, accountability, non-discrimination and meaningful participation in every aspect of life of the community.”

Pillay also declared that “Corruption kills. The money stolen through corruption every year is enough to feed the world’s hungry 80 times over.” In addition, she pointed out that from 2000 to 2009, developing countries lost US$8.44 trillion to illicit financial flows – 10 times more than the foreign aid they received. 

Normally, it is the poor and vulnerable who are first to feel the impact of corruption, when bribery and abuse denies them access to basic services, health, education and land. One human rights group reports that corruption inhibits private investment, reduces economic growth, increases the cost of doing business and can lead to political instability. 

Voila.

While it is true that corruption is an age-old practice that is inimical to good governance, it seems to have transplanted itself into our national DNA. Though there is no universally agreed definition of the word corruption, the Latin root of the term says it all.

The term is derived from “corruptio”, which in Latin means “moral decay, wicked behaviour, putridity or rottenness”. 

Transparency International defines corruption as “misuse of entrusted power for private gain”. Corruption manifests itself in many different ways in different circumstances. They include “grand corruption”, “petty corruption”, “active corruption”, “passive corruption”, “political corruption” and “systemic corruption”. Bribery, embezzlement, theft, fraud, extortion, nepotism, and cronyism can be grouped under either grand or petty corruption, depending on the amount of money lost and the sector where it occurs. Systemic corruption occurs where graft permeates the entire society to the point of being accepted as a norm and a legitimate means of conducting everyday transactions. 

The 1999 Durban Commitment to Effective Action Against Corruption, stated that, “Corruption deepens poverty, it debases human rights; it degrades the environment; it derails development, including private sector development; it can drive conflict in and between nations; and it destroys confidence in democracy and the legitimacy of governments. It debases human dignity and is universally condemned by the world’s major faiths.”

It should also be pointed out that corruption leads to economic inefficiency and waste. The ill-gotten money is either used in conspicuous consumption or is transferred to foreign bank accounts, sometimes via suitcases of cash carried out of the country.

The 11th International Anti-Corruption Conference held in Seoul back in 2003 declared that large-scale corruption should be designated as a crime against humanity, and that all human beings have the basic human right to live in a corruption-free society. 

Here in our country, we have it all – grand, petty and systemic corruption – the worst type of human rights violation. Do we ordinary folks have the luxury of going to Geneva to report these abuses? Are these violations less severe than the restriction of freedom of speech, which in many cases is in fact the demanded freedom to defame, distort and lie? Why hasn’t the Western media, which positions itself as a defender of human rights, paid adequate attention to the flagrant rights abuses that occur via corruption in this country? 

For ourselves, we now have to wake up to the fact that we have this gargantuan elephant in our room and start dealing with it in earnest. It will not be easy, as corruption has become our “addiction gene”. Resistance to any real attempt to slay the mighty corruption dragon will be massive, and it may prove horrifically detrimental to the stability of any government that attempts it. But it is a must. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The future depends on what you do today.”