[Vnbiz] Intel Vietnam refuses to pay bribes

Wed Aug 15 06:22:51 PDT 2007

Hello everyone
the interesting point in this article for me is : It highlights the
important role of bussines-organisation/individual and citizen in anti
corruption.  Mostly, i found people usually blame Government officials for
bribe &corruption , and only see Government's role in changing the
situation, but forgot to see that citizen/bussiness organisaion are the main
cause of it.
Like a Hoanh mention, the behavior of "ignorance" of citizen , saying
"bribes is ok, just the way it is..." or "under-table case" of
bussniess-org..I think it makes the corruption worse. It becomes practice.
:-)
Some of my though!
Thanh Thanh

2007/8/15, AD Marshall <admarshall at gmail.com>:
>
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
>
> For those who don't already subscribe to the bleeding-edge heroism of the
> efforts behind vnnews-l by Stephen Denney:
>
> Copyright 2007 Toan Viet Ltd, Source: The Financial Times Limited
> Vietnam News Briefs
>
> August 14, 2007 Tuesday
>
> ACC-NO: A200708143A-15A67-GNW
>
> LENGTH: 243 words
>
> HEADLINE: CULTURE & SOCIETY INTEL, VIETNAM JOIN HANDS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION
>
> BODY:
>
>
> from the VIETNAM NEWS BRIEFS, August 14, 2007 Intel Products Vietnam, an
> affiliate of the US-based chip giant and the Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) in
> Ho Chi Minh City expect to sign today [August 14] a memorandum of
> understanding to jointly fight red tape and corruption, Thanh Nien
> newspaper reported
>
> Under the agreement, the two sides would have to comply with business
> ethnics and other rules of conduct focusing on honesty and
> straightforwardness, head of the SHTP Nguyen Dinh Mai told Thanh Nien
> journalist, saying that Intel and SHTP will also cooperate closely to
> detect and deal with bribery and other wrongdoings
>
> This is the first time Intel has signed this kind of MoU, Rick Howarth,
> CEO of Intel Vietnam said, hoping that the signature will help Vietnamese
> government better its fight against corruption, which is considered a
> serious threat to the Southeast Asian nation's economic development. In
> upcoming time, Howarth noted, Intel would collaborate with agencies at
> higher levels, even the government to combat the evil. Anti-corruption
> will also be a good way to contribute to projects' success and convince
> more foreign investors to Vietnam, the CEO said
>
> In March Intel began construction of a $1 billion computer component
> facility in SHTP which is scheduled to begin production in mid 2009. It
> will be Intel's largest global chip manufacturing facility.
> (Thanhnienonline Aug 13, VnMedia Aug 14, Vietnam Panorama) Copyright 2007
> Vietnam News Briefs
>
>
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> On 8/15/07, Tran Dinh Hoanh <tdhoanh at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> >
> > Dear Sister Bich Lien & CACC,
> >
> > You pose a wonderful question, sister.  Lucky for the students who have
> > you as their teacher, Bich :Lien they will learn well!
> >
> > "There must be something else, a part from legislation and individual
> > citizens, that make the system the way it did.  An open-ended question, to
> > which I have no answer."  That is so true!  Bich Lien, I had that question
> > when I was 17, and it followed me for several decades, and during that
> > times, I searched for the answer in every thing under the sun; you name it,
> > I have searched in it.
> >
> > I have such a strong urge to share with you my long journey, but to save
> > everyone's time, let me just share the final observation: The missing thing
> > that sis. Bich Lien is looking for is "*the standard of conduct that the
> > majority of the people demand. *"
> >
> > If the *majority* of people demand the *standard *that their leaders
> > have to be honest, that bribery is bad, then the country will have
> > honest leaders and will have less corruption.  If the majority of people
> > think that their leaders just have to be "effective" (whatever effective
> > means)but don't have to be honest, and that corruption/bribery is an OK way
> > to live and to do business, then the country will be marred with
> > lying/cheating leaders and corruption will fill the scene.
> >
> > Please note, I say "*majority of people*." Sister Bich Lien said there
> > are MANY good officials.  But many is not enough if that many is still the
> > minority.
> >
> > And I say "*standard of conduct*," meaning, the character traits that
> > people look up to and whoever achieves such characters will be admired by
> > most people, the character traits that people want their leaders to possess
> > . Standard is usually a bit idealistic, because standard is for "the
> > best scenario."  Say, the standard score for good student is the perfect
> > 10/10.  But few students ever achieve this.  Most good students would get
> > 9/10 or 8/10 only.  However, everything being equal, the school that has
> > the 10/10 standard will produce much better students than the school that
> > sets 8/10 as its standard.
> >
> > Most people in Vietnam think that paying and receiving bribes is OK, it
> > is just a way to do things.  The majority of the people will not stand up
> > and say that it is bad and that it must be stopped.  (Since 18 years old in
> > college in Saigon, I have fought against most of my friends who would
> > convinced me that corruption and bribery is the way to live and that I am
> > just naive.  Imagine you hear this from 18 years old kids (who were my
> > friends)!  Sad but true.  And today many people still tell me that I am too
> > idealistic, that they don't need honest leaders, that they believe
> > corruption is an OK or acceptable way to do business, or corruption is just
> > a matter of semantic.
> >
> > We will always disagree in many specific circumstances whether a
> > sentence spoken is honest or not, or a specific gift or payment is indeed a
> > bribe.  Application of a rule to a specific case may raise disagreement
> > among friends.  That is OK.  But at least, the majority of the people have
> > to believe in the rule of honesty and the rule of clean business and clean
> > government.  If we don't have the majority, the minority of good people
> > won't be enough.
> >
> > How to get that majority?  Simple, keep talking, keep preaching, keep
> > teaching, and keep practicing honesty and cleanliness.  It is hard, because
> > we all are human, and we all, including me, and especially me, fail often
> > for our weaknesses, and we need to eat and pay bills and feed our children
> > too.  I know.  But if we have faith in the ultimate victory of goodness,
> > will stand up after each fall, and continue talking about honesty and clean
> > governance again and again and again, time after time after time, regardless
> > of what the negative people may say, then eventually that majority will be
> > achieved.
> >
> > Trust me.  Have faith!
> >
> > Have a great day, sis. Bich Lien and all.
> >
> > Hoanh
> >
> >
> >
> > On 8/15/07, Bui Bich Lien <lien.bb at gmail.com > wrote:
> > >
> > > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >  Anh Hoanh and CACC,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >    1. The OECD member countries adopted a Convention on Combating
> > >    Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions
> > >    in 1997.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >    1. Corruption in Vietnam, as elsewhere, is often systematic.  So
> > >    I guess that an institutional approach to corruption may help enlighten the
> > >    problem.  Having said this, I do not mean to underestimate the fact that
> > >    ethical individuals/citizens are jewels in every society.  But as Nam Cao
> > >    stated [almost hundred years ago] in the famous Chi Pheo "tao muon lam nguoi
> > >    tu te, nhung ai cho tao lam nguoi tu te" (I want to be a good person, but
> > >    who allows me to do that???).  Within my limited circle of
> > >    friends/acquaintances, I already know MANY public officials in Vietnam who
> > >    have relatively high ethical standards and want to be good citizens.  But
> > >    it's the fact that they are operating in a system that is known for high
> > >    level of corruption.  The system has not been mature enough to facilitate
> > >    them to do what they want -- life is a matter of choice, and I can well
> > >    understand one's choice of survival before ethical.  If the US has FCPA,
> > >    Vietnam has an Anti-corruption Law too.  And I just mentioned, Vietnam seems
> > >    not lack ethical officials/professionals either.  There must be something
> > >    else, apart from legislation, and individual citizens, that makes the system
> > >    the way it is.  An open-ended question, to which I have no answer.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Rgs,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Lien
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Tran Dinh Hoanh, Esq., LLB, JD
> > > Washington DC
> > >
> >
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