[Vnbiz] Intel Vietnam refuses to pay bribes

Wed Aug 15 09:32:09 PDT 2007

Well and concisely put, Hong-Phong_Pho at ita.doc.gov.

On 8/15/07, Hong-Phong_Pho at ita.doc.gov <Hong-Phong_Pho at ita.doc.gov> wrote:
>
> [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
>
> Perhaps anh Hoanh can show how many times the FCPA have been used in court
> since its inception.
> Its real value is as a tool for U.S. businesses to sidestep "requests" for
> "payments".
> Here's my own practical approach to thinking about corruption in general:
> Companies, people will decide whether or not to engage in corruption based
> on their own interests.
> They will if the benefits outweight the costs and vice versa.
>
> A set of anti-corruption laws must be in place.
> A free and independent press plays the most important role in exposing
> corruption.
> A fair, competent, and independent court is necessary to prosecute
> corruption.
> Vietnam has the first element in place, the second element is partially in
> place but still weak, and the third element still weaker.
>
> In this context, Intel Vietnam's action is smart and logical:  it is
> simply immunizing itself against corruption, witnessed by both the USG and
> GVN.
> This is much easier done for large multinational companies than for small
> businessess.
>
>
>  *"Tran Dinh Hoanh" <tdhoanh at gmail.com>*
> Sent by: vnbiz-bounces at mail.saigon.com
>
> 08/15/2007 01:57 AM  Please respond to
> vnbiz at vietlinks.net
>
>   To
> vnbiz at vietlinks.net  cc
>
>  Subject
> Re: [Vnbiz] Intel Vietnam refuses to pay bribes
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [ 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* <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.
>
>
> 2.        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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