By Aung Kyaw Thant

ALTHOUGH corruption cases should no longer exist throughout today’s world, they will never fade out from the global community whenever anyone intentionally or unintentionally commits corruption cases against others or anything.

As everybody residing in the global countries including Myanmar does not have genuine knowledge which can be applied to analyze what are dos and don’ts in the society, they may commit cases of corruption or taking briberies. Sometimes, somebody may commit corruption cases due to pressures posed by somebody or someone for various reasons. Whenever they do not have genuine knowledge and genuine courage to avoid or refuse to avoid corruption cases, they intentionally commit corruption cases.

Create a corruption-free environment

So, it is necessary to analyze the root causes of corruption cases. First, authorities concerned need to create corruption-free environments in the country. It is not impossible but such an act cannot totally fade out the corruption but it is sure to remarkably reduce corruption cases. Even if the creation of such an environment is not useful for the current generation, it will be surely useful for new generations to control themselves for avoiding corruption based on rationality.

Everybody is trying to fulfil the basic needs of their families. To do so, they use various ways and means to meet their goals. If so, they may intentionally or unintentionally do acts outside the framework of the law. It may be corruption. If their families are generally fulfilled, they do not need to commit any illegal acts. Only then may somebody with great ambition intentionally commit corruption cases without avoiding acts outside the framework of the law.

Raising public awareness

Second, if so, the government is responsible for raising public awareness of the disadvantages of corruption not only in the current era but in the vicious circle for the people to have genuine knowledge and courage to analyze the correct ways of lifestyle without committing any illegal acts. Moreover, a corruption-free environment will contribute to the people to avoid the situation of avoiding corruption cases.

In Myanmar, the Anti-Corruption Law was enacted on 7 August 2013 for ensuring the emergence of a clean government and good governance in Myanmar and the Anti-Corruption Commission was formed in 2014 in order to fight corruption cases and take action against those who commit briberies and losses to the State.

Only when a society which is free from corruption emerges, will the people have a safe life not face losses in corruption and not become victims of corruption cases. If so, the people will have the knowledge to avoid corruption cases they may commit in a specific situation or to overcome challenges of corruption they may be committed. Actually, knowledge leads everything to how to do and how to avoid something.

In the fourth amendment to the law on 21 June 2018, a definition mentioned anyone who is handling procedures of the public finance of relevant government departments or government organizations or public organizations or other organizations or demanding, taking, managing and liquidating their property or participating in or managing the agreements related to these organizations commits acts of making losses to currency, materials and property of the State. If cases of losses occur, action was taken against the offenders under Section 3 (a) (2) of the Anti-Corruption Law.

Governments in successive eras have been striving to prevent corruption and briberies as much as they can. Lawbreakers committed corruption cases and briberies taking advantage of weak points in the relevant laws. Indeed, the lawbreakers who committed corruption cases and briberies can be identified as persons with selfishness. They ignored the disadvantages which came of the corruption cases over other persons but kept their self-interests at the fore. Hence, they should be identified as dangerous persons to the world.

During the term of the previous government, some persons were notorious for corruption but scrutiny and taking action against them were weak. Amongst the various kinds of difficulties and challenges, the Anti-Corruption Commission exposed some major corruption cases. In this regard, just three cases were related to prosecuting the law breakers for the loss of the State from 2019 to 31 January 2021, unveiling the losses worth K20 million and 255,930.69 euros.

Accepting complaints for corruption cases

Starting from 1 February 2021 when the State Administration Council assumed State responsibilities to 31 July 2022, the Anti-Corruption Commission accepted complaints for the cases. After scrutinizing these complaints, the commission prosecuted 186 criminal cases and 45 general criminal cases. In that regard, the persons with political status from previous Union ministries and region and state governments and those holding the authority broke disciplines of financial rules related to government projects, construction tasks and region and state development tasks. They also did not follow the disciplines mentioned in the agreements signed with the State. Moreover, they breached existing laws and disciplines, did not abide by orders and directives, sought self-interests and abused the ownership of property. As a result, 108 cases of corruption made losses to State finance. Hence, the State lost K259,670 million and US$13,326,746 in the cases.

Due to corruption cases, cases of incorrectness in allotting the fund for the public interests, loss of natural resources, lack of efficient using the land plots reclaimed, loss of basic rights for the people, and hindrances to foreign investment and Myanmar citizens’ investments happened in the administration, economic and social sectors, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission.

In fact, any kinds of corruption and malpractices based on briberies never benefit society as well as the persons themselves who committed. Practically, the persons who are corrupt for taking briberies or offending illegal acts or malpractices in their respective arenas or workplaces abuse their authority or financial power or social power but their minds will never be peaceful. Surely, their souls are always fighting against the actual minds of honesty. The eagerness of breaching the prescribed disciplines or laws of corruption is always wrestling with the sinless soul.

Pretended feature of the mind

In an exceptional case, some persons intentionally forge corruption kept in mind. They are satisfactory to commit corruption in which value and volume might be lesser so as to console their souls. It is a mind of bullying others under the pretended feature of the mind. If they have a chance to be corrupt over others in many cases, they will be satisfied with their lives and acts. Truly, it may be a disorder of the mind and they may be a patient suffering from a mental disorder. Practically, when they face legal action taken for the cases they committed, they will suffer a larger burden of punishment than they have seemed.

In Myanmar, most of the people who believe in Buddhism uphold the teachings of the Lord Buddha. They accept the Buddhism concept that the person who committed a bad deed would face a bad result and who performed a good deed would have a good reflection.

Types of corruption

Actually, the word corruption cannot be narrowly defined as a case of committing an uncorrected and unfair act against others. Wikipedia defines corruption as a form of dishonesty or a criminal offence which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one’s personal gain. But, the word corruption is inclusive of bribe court, bribery of voters, money laundering, dirty money and so many ways of malpractices in social ethics.

Shape a corruption-free society

In order to build a society free from corruption, it is necessary to widen the scope of people to know the advantages and disadvantages of committing cases of corruption. Indeed, any religion across the world cannot accept corruption. Corruption cannot benefit both doers and losers. The former may seem to get something from the corruption but they actually lose mental power in the current world. Losers also face losses of property and suffering. Hence, all the people from the global community should discard the act of corruption forever.

That is why everybody needs to try to avoid malpractices including corruption and briberies as part of contributing towards the prosperity of the society. The positive reflection of the majority of people will shape society peaceful and pleasant. Everybody should think if the whole society can restrict the acts of corruption even without making it to be faded out, the society will have to bear pleasant and pleasurable moments in the future.