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What Corruption ? Whose Corruption ?

Managing change

There are reasons why 'corruption' exists and reasons why it can become institutionalised.
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The thoughtful m'zuŋ u should be able to see for themselves how much of the 'corruption'
is in some way related to either

 The circumstances that arise from living (surviving ?) in an underdeveloped country – and
which therefore might reasonably be expected to diminish as significant progress in
development removes much of the cause (but of course the criminal networks will probably seek
to morph into other forms of misdeeds)
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 The 'corruption'' arising from the m'zuŋ u who if not actively involved themselves is a silent
partner. Someone who knowingly abets.
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Border posts in Southern Asia

The easiest way to understand how difficult it is for any one individual to stand aside from
'corruption' is to pass through the border posts of a particular Asian country. For

anonymity’s sake, I refer to it as country KHR. Border posts notorious for the extortion of

tourists of various 'extra charges'.

On my first visit to this country, I entered via border post PP (travelling from country BHT).
The charge for a visa to enter country KHR was clearly set out on the sign above the border

post's cashier’s window. But the cashier demanded an extra USD 3. My refusal meant I was
then approached by what, by that country's standards, was a giant in uniform. After three

attempts to get the USD 3, he gave up and scornfully waved me on.
It was the paper in his hand that introduced me to the mafia like system that I had

just confronted. On this paper was a series of what I know as '5 bar gates'. This giant was

the boss' enforcer. He recorded each payment with a pen-stroke, the first 4 strokes being
vertical, but the 5th payment being crossed off by a diagonal line to form a 'gate'.

This man was probably not even an official. He was purely there so that the boss had

a complete check over exactly how much revenue the cashier had collected that day. Not
the revenue from the sale of visas. That was the government's money. But the revenue

from USD 3 which was money for the boss.

If you travel through the same PP border post on a bus belonging to the neighbouring
government's own transport company, there are no extra USD 3 to pay. The border post's

mafia boss doesn't want to ignite a fight between countries. A fight that could lead to a
clampdown.