Thailand's government hopes new legislation will curb official corruption. But some business-risk experts say the chief concern in fighting corruption in Thailand lies in political will and government stability.
泰国政府希望新的立法能限制官员腐败。但是一些商业风险专家说，在泰国和腐败作斗争主要在于政治意愿和政府的稳定。
Thailand is enacting tough legislation in a bid to curb corruption in public office. The new laws offer more flexibility in prosecuting suspects in a country considered one of the more corrupt in Asia.
泰国在制定严格的立法，旨在打击政府机构的腐败。新出台的法律为起诉涉嫌犯罪者提供更为灵活的方式。泰国被认为是亚洲最腐败的国家之一。
Professor Pakdee Pothisiri is a member of the National Anti-Corruption Commission. He says the new legislation should overcome shortfalls in earlier anti-corruption laws. He says one important step is the new law allows anyone with knowledge of corruption to file a case with his commission.
作为国家反腐败委员会成员的帕克迪教授说，新立法应该克服此前反腐败法中的不足。他说，一个重要的步骤是新法律允许得知腐败问题的任何人向我们委员会提请立案。
He is confident that and other changes will strengthen the fight against graft. "I believe so because of the new constitution and the organic act that is about to pass into law and also because of this national anti-corruption strategy," said Professor Pakdee. "What we call for [is] all the sectors to work with us in dealing with the corruption."
他充满信心地认为，其他改变也会加强反腐的力度。他说：“我相信会是这样，因为新的宪法以及这个即将通过的有机法律，另外也因为这个全国性的反腐败战略。我们呼吁的是让所有部门和我们一起来对付腐败问题。”
Under the current law, only those directly affected by corruption are able to file a complaint.
在目前的法律约束下，只有那些直接受到腐败牵连的人们才有权提请立案。
A survey by the Hong Kong firm Political and Economic Risk Consultancy ranks Thailand just ahead of Indonesia as being the most corrupt in Asia. Singapore and Hong Kong are considered least corrupt.
香港政治经济风险资讯公司作出的调查将泰国的排名提在印尼之前，成为亚洲最腐败的国家。
The firm's managing director, Bob Broadfoot, says corruption in Thailand has fueled political instability over recent years. But Broadfoot doubts whether the legal changes will significantly reduce the problem.
这个公司的执行主任、鲍伯.布罗德富特说，泰国的腐败问题使国家最近几年出现政治不稳定的局面，但是他怀疑这次司法改革是否会有效地减少这方面的问题。
"They may have passed what they said back in 2007, [but] how many changes of government have happened since 2007 because accusations by one side or the other by corruption? That has nothing to do with the magnitude. This has to do with corruption as an issue that can force political change and that is what investors care about," he said.
“他们可能在2007年就通过了他们所说的方案，但是，自从2007年以来，因为一方指控另一方，腐败导致政府发生了多大的变化呀。这和强度没有关系。这和可以迫使政治改变的腐败问题有关，这是投资者所关心的问题。”
Broadfoot says foreign investors are reluctant to enter Thailand because the business environment is unstable politically and socially. The leaders of military coups in 1991 and in 2006 said they acted to overthrow corrupt governments.
布罗德富特说，外国投资者不情愿到泰国，因为从政和社会方面来说，商业环境是不稳定的。
Broadfoot says the main corruption problem in Thailand lies with politicians rather than the country's civil servants.
布罗德富特说，泰国主要的腐败问题在于政客而不是这个国家的公务员。
"The civil servants in Thailand are, by and large in a lot of the departments, they are doing a pretty good job, they are getting respect," he said. "But there is very, very little respect for the politicians."
“泰国的公务员在很多部门总体上来说是工作得很好。他们受到尊重。但是对政客们不太尊重。”
The new laws are being passed as the Thai government begins spending $22 billion to stimulate the slumping economy. The anti-corruption commission's Pakdee says the government needs to implement risk-management practices to make sure corruption does not siphon off that money.
泰国新法律通过之时，正是泰国政府启动220亿美元用于刺激衰弱经济的时候。在反腐败委员会任职的帕克迪说，泰国政府需要实行管理风险的法律，保证这些钱不至于会因为腐败而流失。 |