NCJ Number
201054
Journal
Forum on Crime and Society Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 135-146
Date Published
December 2002
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article discusses how the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) or China has successfully combated historical corruption within its government.
Abstract
While the Hong Kong SAR is now well-known within the international community for effectively combating corruption, this region experienced deeply rooted corruption during the 1960’s and 1970’s. The author traces how the Hong Kong SAR effectively eliminated itself of this secretive and destructive crime. In 1974, the Independent Commission Against Corruption was established as the key agency in the battle against corruption. The Commission embarked on a three-pronged approach to the fight against corruption: investigation, prevention, and community education. The author notes that gaining public support was one of the strong points of the Commission, and one of the main reasons it was able to effectively combat deep-rooted corruption. The Commission also succeeded because it understood the importance of a holistic approach to the problem and was able to gain not only public support, but also much needed government support. The Commission was provided with the legal powers and the resources that were necessary to carry out the job, and the continuing support of the government keeps the Hong Kong SAR one of the most corruption-free countries in the world.