Since retiring as a primary school teacher just over two decades ago, Le Hien Duc has waged a daily war against corruption in Vietnam. Acting on behalf of her fellow citizens, the 75-year-old grandmother purues their complaints and allegations against local officials from her home in Hanoi - armed with such resources as a computer and digital camera (to catch the unscrupulous 'in the act'). This week, her tireless efforts were recognized by Transparency International, which awarded her the 2007 Integrity Award. Her hard work has attracted other, less welcome, attention too - including death threats. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic, saying “Vietnam has won every war it has fought in the past. There is no reason it cannot win the war against corruption.” If enough people take a brave stand against everyday corrupt practices, like Le Hien Duc, her faith may well be rewarded.
(Photo courtesy AFP, from Khaleej Times.)
By the way, although this AFP article is on broad circulation, I chose to include the version from Khaleej Times online - an interesting newspaper from the United Arab Emirates. It's worth a browse if you have a spare minute. It includes some interesting and thoughtful (and sometimes provocative) opinion columns.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Day Sixty-Three: grandmother fights local battles to win a bigger war
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You would certainly want Le Hien Duc on your side - whatever game you were playing. There's a theory that short people need to be aggressive to get by. At under five feet tall and just over six stone, Le may be diminutive but she is certainly effective. The range of her activities is impressive - like a caped crusader, she sorts out kids who are short-changed and then calls a minister 30 times to right a wrong. What a woman. She'd get my vote any day.
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