President Leads Anti-Corruption Day Celebrations

Jakarta, Dec 10 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono led the International Anti-Corruption Day 2012 celebrations at the State Palace here on Monday. The event was attended by, among others, a number of ministers and governors from the country`s 33 provinces. Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Abraham Samad said in his speech that all Indonesians must make efforts to eradicate corruption and prevent it from happening in the future. "In this year�s Corruption Perception Index, Indonesia has scored higher on integrity, but it`s still vulnerable. Corruption remains in the nation�s bureaucracy and public services," he pointed out. Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin stated that corruption should be �linked with human rights�. "Acts of corruption can be equated to human rights violations," he said. On the occasion, Yudhoyono was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and Chairman of the Presidential Working Unit for Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4) Kuntoro Mangkusubroto. Earlier, in a separate event commemorating the International Anti-Corruption Day on Sunday, KPK called on all Indonesians to unite in their fight against corruption. "We must unite to fight off this extraordinary crime," Abraham said at the event, which was attended by government officials and public figures. He noted that corruption could not be eradicated without cooperation among all sections of the society. "Stop greediness and avarice in the country, which are the root causes of all acts of corruption," Abraham continued. "This occasion should the momentum to unitedly fight corruption, which is becoming a bigger and more dangerous problem by the day," he added. The visiting executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yuri Fedotov, also attended the function. During his stay in Jakarta, Fedotov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa, Minister of Health Nafsiah Mboi, National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS) deputy minister Lukita Dinarsyah Tuwo and other key government officials, such as National Narcotics Agency (BNN) head Gories Mere and Indonesian National Police chief, General Timur Pradopo.