We should be ashamed of corruption.
(Baonghean) - A few days ago, at the National Conference on Anti-Corruption, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong reminded: "Organizations and officials must feel ashamed and distressed by corruption." It sounds heartbreaking, but it's true that our country is ranked internationally as one of the countries with the highest levels of corruption. Meanwhile, it seems that a segment of our officials have lost their sense of shame.
It can only be described as "stunned" that former Vinalines Chairman Duong Chi Dung, during his final statement at the first-instance trial, still managed to smile and recite poetry. This was despite the fact that, just minutes before, the prosecutor had requested the death penalty for embezzlement and intentional wrongdoing in the infamous U-83M floating dock purchase. A few days ago, according to press reports, at the appeal trial, even facing the death penalty, Duong Chi Dung's smile remained "permanent." People have discussed this in various ways, but no matter what, it's a brazen attitude! Those who have been exposed are like this, but those who haven't been exposed are strangely indifferent to the people. In a remote district of our province, there are three communes in the most isolated areas, with over 80% of households living in poverty, yet all three commune chairmen own cars for their leisurely drives. They simply ignore the villagers' gossip!
No wonder, a few years ago, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, then Secretary of the Da Nang City Party Committee, advised city officials to "practice feeling ashamed." Good heavens! Even shame needs to be practiced by our officials?
Meanwhile, overseas, like in South Korea for example, a few years ago, the then-president Lee Myung-bak appeared on television to apologize to the people. The reason was that his older brother was involved in corruption. Before that, in 2008, Roh Moo-hyun, shortly after leaving office as president, committed suicide by jumping off a mountain. The reason was that Roh was suspected by authorities of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from a wealthy businessman. In his suicide note, he wrote:“I feel ashamed before the people. I apologize for disappointing everyone!” Especially in the recent Sewol ferry disaster in South Korea on April 27, 2014, South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-Won announced his resignation to take responsibility for the deaths of over 300 people.
A few days ago, a number of officials from the Vietnam Railways Corporation were prosecuted and detained on suspicion of receiving 16 billion VND from a Japanese contractor. In Vinh City, recently, the Party Secretary of a ward (reportedly slated for a higher-level position in the next term) had to flee due to… bankruptcy. In recent years, many organizations have achieved the title of "clean and strong" until they were exposed. Despite this reality of corruption, according to authorities, the number of organizations and agencies that spontaneously discover corruption within their ranks is very rare; most cases are exposed by the press.
There are many reasons why some organizations and a segment of officials and civil servants feel no shame in their involvement with corruption. However, one crucial reason is that public opinion has not yet exerted sufficient pressure against corruption. Petty corruption, manifested through bribery whenever necessary, is considered normal and commonplace by the public. The mentality that officials must be wealthy is widespread in society.
It is this social mentality that prevents organizations and officials (whether involved in corruption or not) from feeling "ashamed" or "suffering," as the General Secretary said.
When people have no sense of shame, what wouldn't they dare to do?
Viet Long
