Tougher sentences aren't the answer to corruption

Thailand appears to be performing better this year in its battle against graft. In Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2014 the Kingdom has climbed 17 places to 85th among 175 countries surveyed, with a score of 38 out of 100. No 1 in the rankings with a score of 92 was Denmark, while Somalia and North Korea were rated worst for public corruption, both with a score of 8. 

The annual index measures perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide. Last year, Thailand was ranked 102nd with a score of 35.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the index now rates Thailand 12th among 28 countries, tied with India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Among the 10 Asean member-states, we rank third, tied with the Philippines and behind Singapore (7th in the world) and Malaysia (50th). Perceived as more corrupt are Indonesia, ranked 107th in the world, followed by Vietnam (119th), Laos (145th), Cambodia and Myanmar (both 156th).

Some are hailing Thailand’s latest global ranking as evidence of progress in our battle against the chronic problem of corruption, but others say the slight improvement in our score doesn’t signal success. National Anti-Corruption Commission member Pakdee Pothisiri described the country’s rise from 102nd in 2013 to 85th this year as a “good development”, adding that the NACC’s goal was to help boost the country’s score to 50 within the next three years. However, Pramon Sutivong, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Organisation, said the better ranking did not mean Thailand’s corruption problem has improved.

The authorities and corruption-combating activists have come up with a variety of ideas to amend the law in a bid to discourage politicians and bureaucrats helping themselves to taxpayers’ money. Among the proposed changes are increased powers for the NACC, including the authority to make arrests, no statute of limitations for corruption cases, and severer punishment of convicted public officials – including capital punishment in the worst cases.

Meanwhile, more evidence has surfaced of a widespread and deeply ingrained acceptance of corruption as part of everyday life. And perhaps most worrying is that this acceptance seems to extend to our children, who will grow up to decide the future direction of the country.  

In a recent survey of some 4,000 youngsters in 21 provinces across the country, a quarter of them admitted to having resorted to bribery to attain their ends, and said they saw nothing wrong with cheating in exams. The survey’s findings were yet another sobering reminder of the scale of the problem.

Certainly, tougher anti-corruption laws and stricter enforcement are necessary to discourage politicians and bureaucrats from pocketing public funds, demanding kickbacks and taking other forms of bribe.

However, our main focus should be on instilling standards of civic pride, duty and responsibility in our youngsters. Unless we intervene to teach children from a young age why bribery and abusing power for personal gain is wrong and unacceptable, the social cancer of corruption will be reproduced in generation after generation. For as long as we fail to address the disease where it takes root – in the youngest members of our society – we condemn ourselves to a future in which our collective wealth continues to be stolen and related social problems flourish.

 If we don’t want the next generation to suffer the deep social and economic damage from corruption that has befallen us, the battle for hearts and minds must begin now, with our youngsters.