Curbing Corruption In Asia

As corruption is a serious problem in many Asian countries their governments have introduced many anti-corruption measures since the 1950s. This book analyzes and evaluates the anti-corruption strategies employed in Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.

This academic study examines how corruption is controlled in six Asian countries, namely Hong Kong, India, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore and South Korea. These countries illustrate between them three patterns of corruption control in Asian countries. Pattern 1 is demonstrated by Mongolia, which has anti-corruption laws but no independent agency. Pattern 2 is illustrated by India and the Philippines as they have many anti-corruption laws and anti-corruption agencies. Pattern 3 refers to the implementation of anti-corruption legislation by an independent anti-corruption agency and is best exemplified by Singapore and Hong Kong. South Korea has moved from Pattern 1 to Pattern 3 with the formation of the Korean Independent Commission against Corruption in 2002.

Fundamental changes within economies are needed to create arm''s-length relations between governments, corporations, and banks. We are taking risks when investing in the future, and risk-taking demands openness and truthfulness from the agents we employ. If investors and accountants can concur on the degree of disclosure that is morally right we may come to some global agreement on what constitutes corruption OCo but to do this we have to bring together those who advocate profit-making with those who see this as usury; and we have to care for the future in novel ways OCo unknown in the past OCo so as to allow firms to be locally inefficient (apparently) while preserving the environment. This book looks widely at the prevailing situation in Asia and considers how little some governments are doing to guide their institutions towards probity and transparency. While fundamental changes are needed around the globe, it is in the developing nations that there is scope for radical change in the near future, as their institutions are re-created to meet the modern world. Once developed and functioning their managers will have the opportunity to facilitate and re-direct the institutions in the developed world, which happen to be more conservative than their own. Contents: The OECD Convention and Asia (E Quinones); The Asian Money Laundering Explosion (P Lilley); Corruption in Context (L Palmier); Monopoly Rights and Wrongs: Two Forms of Intellectual Property Rights Violations in Asia (H-B Cheah); Culture and Level of Industrialization as Determinants of Corruption in Asia (D Sculli); The Economy of Seepage and Leakage in Asia: The Most Dangerous Issue (G Etienne); Combating Corruption in Southeast Asia (C Wescott); The Nature of Corruption Hidden Culture: The Case of Korea (Y-L Moon & G N McLean); Comparative Study of Anti-Corruption Systems, Efforts and Strategies in Asian Countries: Focusing on Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Korea (T Kim); and other papers. Readership: Final-year undergraduates, master''s and MBA students in ethics and social science; researchers on Asian topics, managers and policy-makers."

Corruption in Asia ranges from the venal rent-seeking of local officials to the million-dollar bribes received by corrupt politicians; from excessive position-related consumption to future job offers in the private sector for compliant public servants; from money-laundering to ‘white elephant’ projects that do little more than line the pockets of developers and their political partners. The Routledge Handbook of Corruption in Asia addresses the theories, issues and trends in corruption and anticorruption reform that have emerged from this diverse experience. The book is divided into four major parts: corruption and the state; corruption and economic development; corruption and society; and controlling corruption: strategies, successes and failures. Chapters compare and contrast corruption in different social and institutional contexts, examine both successful and unsuccessful attempts to control it, and consider what lessons can be drawn from these Asian experiences. This academically rigorous and insightful book will be of interest to a wide range of students and scholars, particularly those of Asian studies, politics and sociology.

"Challenging Corruption in Asia provides an analytical framework to explore and attempt to answer these questions. Drawing on their experience as public policy advisors and implementers of anticorruption programs, the authors outline a six-step approach to developing effective anticorruption strategies tailored specifically to a country's pattern of corruption and conditions of governance. Case studies are written by researchers and policy advisors from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea. Together, they illustrate the impact of country-specific patterns of corruption and governance on anticorruption effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on choosing anticorruption instruments suited to the governance environment, on the key roles played by anticorruption champions, especially civil society organizations and the media, and on the need to make information on the extent and perceptions of corruption widely available." --Résumé de l'éditeur.

The purpose of this book is to explain why a number of countries have succeeded in combating corruption; and to identify the lessons which other countries can learn from these five countries' successful experiences in curbing corruption.

This book shares best practices and practical experiences from Asian countries, and should serve as a resource book in the hands of counter-corruption agencies and government leaders. It examines common challenges and shared experiences, and lays out tested strategies and solutions.