‘Graft-Busting Granny’ Receives Award for Fighting Corruption in Vietnam
Dec 17th, 2007 • Posted in: NewsIn addition to kudos, Le Hien Duc also receives her share of death threats.
HANOI
A 76-year-old Vietnamese grandmother known for her relentless and fearless fight against graft has received a major award from a global anti-corruption watchdog.
Transparency International said Le Hien Duc was chosen for the group’s annual Integrity Award for being a “resourceful anti-corruption fighter,” the BBC reports.
While Vietnam is awash in corruption, the culture generally does not condone confronting authority. But Duc, according to the London-based Independent, has made a habit of personally tracking down high- and low-level officials and holding them accountable for their misdeeds.
According to a report from the Agence France-Presse, she has pursued allegations of graft in the school system as well as bribes solicited by traffic cops. Her efforts in hounding one bribe-demanding cop resulted in his demotion.
“Many police carry my photo in their wallets so they can recognize me on the street,” she said.
She has received several death threats recently, according to the AFP, including an instance in which a coffin was left outside her door.
According to a press release from Transparency International, the retired schoolteacher’s persistence “is an inspiration and sets an example for anyone who has been wronged through corruption.”
Duc shares the award with a Swiss criminologist.
Sources: BBC, Dec. 15 — Independent, Dec. 15 — AFP, Dec. 15.
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