================================================= Expat Worlds Bi-Monthly Digest ================================================= 31 March, 2004 Vol. 6, Issue 04 .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== THE STORY =================== -=Suharto Tops World Corruption League=- ==== OTHER EZINES ================ -=Asia Times Online=- -=Computer Help A to Z=- ==== EW SPECIAL ================== -=Western European Bank Account=- ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... == -=Trivia=- -=News Story=- -=Traveller's Tales=- -=Jokes=- ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============= -=The Freeware Book=- ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD == -=Table of Content=- ==== THE STORY ================================== SUHARTO TOPS WORLD CORRUPTION LEAGUE Laksamana.Net - Former dictator Suharto has topped a list of the world's most corrupt politicians over the past two decades. The list is part of Transparency International's new Global Corruption Report 2004, which charts the flow of stolen assets, recommends ways to recover money looted by despots, and sets out new standards on political finance and favors. Transparency International says Suharto stole about $15 billion to $35 billion during his 32 years of rule in a country where the Gross Domestic Product per capita hovers at around $700. The report, released in London on Thursday (25/3/04), says "plundering politicians and bribing multinationals" are undermining economic development. Suharto (82) came to power in 1967 amid mass slaughters of hundreds of thousands of communists and their alleged sympathizers. He was forced to resign in May 1998 amid mass riots, protests and financial turmoil. Since then, efforts to bring him to court on corruption charges have failed because doctors claim he is too physically and mentally sick (brain-damaged) to stand trial. Many observers suspect the old man is faking the extent of his alleged poor health. Despite Suharto's notoriety for corruption and repression, his eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti 'Tutut' Rukmana is hoping to contest Indonesia's July 5 presidential election - seeking to capitalize on growing nostalgia among many citizens for the relative political and economic stability of the Suharto era. Featured below is the list of the world's most corrupt politicians, showing their years in power and the estimated amounts of money they embezzled; followed by a press statement outlining comments made by TI chairman Peter Eigen at the launch of the new global corruption report. Where did the money go? - The top 10 1. Mohamed Suharto - President of Indonesia (1967-98) $15-35 billion. 2. Ferdinand Marcos - President of the Philippines (1972-86) $5-10 billion. 3. Mobutu Sese Seko - President of Zaire (1965-97) $5 billion. 4. Sani Abacha - President of Nigeria (1993-98) $2-5 billion. 5. Slobodan Milosevic - President of Serbia/Yugoslavia (1989-2000) $1 billion. 6. Jean-Claude Duvalier - President of Haiti (1971-86) $300-800 million. 7. Alberto Fujimori - President of Peru (1990-2000) $600 million. 8. Pavlo Lazarenko - Prime Minister of Ukraine (1996-97) $114-200 million. 9. Arnoldo Alemán - President of Nicaragua (1997-2002) $100 million. 10. Joseph Estrada - President of the Philippines (1998-2001) $78-80 million. Statement by TI Chairman Peter Eigen March 25, 2004 - "Political corruption undermines the hopes for prosperity and stability of developing countries, and damages the global economy," said Peter Eigen, Chairman of Transparency International (TI), launching the TI Global Corruption Report 2004 (GCR 2004) today. "The abuse of political power for private gain deprives the most needy of vital public services, creating a level of despair that breeds conflict and violence. It also hits the pockets of taxpayers and shareholders worldwide. The problem must be tackled at the national and international level," he said. "The GCR 2004 , with a special focus on political corruption," said Eigen, "is a call to action to bring integrity and accountability into governance, to stop bribery by multinational companies, and to curb the flow of stolen assets into secret bank accounts in the west." TI is the leading international non-governmental organisation combating corruption worldwide. "Democracies can no longer tolerate bribery, fraud and dishonesty," states former US President Jimmy Carter in a foreword to the GCR 2004 , "especially as such practices disproportionately hurt the poor." The GCR 2004 details funds allegedly embezzled by political leaders of the past two decades. During his misrule, Mohamed Suharto, President of Indonesia from 1967-98, is alleged to have stolen US$15-US$35 billion in a country where the GDP per capita hovers at around US$700. Suharto tops the table of corrupt politicians. Political corruption deprives millions of health care, education and the prospects of a sustainable future," said TI-Zimbabwe Chair John Makumbe at the launch of TI's GCR 2004 in London today. "The fight against corruption requires sustained political will at the highest levels, and not only in countries recovering from the legacy of Moi, Suharto, Duvalier or Abacha," said Makumbe, a member of TI's international Board of Directors. "There has to be a commitment," he continued, "on the part of governments to implement the new African Union Convention on Combating and Preventing Corruption and the UN Convention against Corruption, in particular the measures to curb the outflow of assets stolen by corrupt elites into foreign bank accounts. Bribe-paying is a crime against humanity, a fact made clear by the legacy of poverty and distrust left behind by corrupt politicians." "International financial institutions and donor governments must engage with developing country governments that demonstrate the political will to fight corruption," said Eigen. "To make sure that this will can be realised, donor governments must insist on adequate civil society monitoring of good governance in recipient countries." To mark the publication of the GCR 2004 , today TI launched its Standards on Political Finance and Favours, setting out a blueprint for transparency in political and campaign finance in a year which sees key elections in countries where political corruption has been a persistent problem. Elections will be held in the coming months in Indonesia and the Philippines, two countries still reeling from the corrupt legacy of Mohamed Suharto, and both Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada respectively. The TI Standards include conflict-of-interest legislation, and independently monitored annual disclosure of party income and expenditure. The recommendations include a diversified funding base, fair access to the media and provisions for civil society monitoring of political finance. The special focus of the GCR 2004 on political corruption includes expert reports on the regulation of political finance, the disclosure of money flows into politics, and the repatriation of wealth looted by politicians. Two industry case studies - on the arms and oil sectors - demonstrate the role of the private sector in supplying corrupt political funds. The GCR 2004 includes detailed assessments of the state of corruption in 34 country reports, accompanied by analyses of recent global and regional developments, including the UN Convention against Corruption and the impact of EU expansion on corruption. The report also includes the findings of the latest research into corruption and ways to combat it. ==== OTHER EZINES =============================== ASIAN TIMES ONLINE Asia most trusted source for news, business,commentary and analysis from throughout Asia and our world. (www.atimes.com). ----- Computer Help A to Z Get a free computer tips-kit and make working on your computer fun as well as productive. Discover and master the power of your personal computer without all the technical jargon. http://www.computerhelpatoz.com/ ==== EW SPECIAL ================================= WESTERN EUROPEAN BANK An Account with Internet Banking and a Visa Card! Here at Expat World we do the impossible. We are now able to get you a personal account at a major Western European Bank based just on a copy of your passport. We've been asked by many of our readers and client's if we can do this and have now plowed through the almost impossible post 911 hysteria to find a bank with a reasonable attitude. Before you become suspicious this account is NOT with the former Eastern block bank in Latvia, Estonia, Hungary etc. It's a 5-star bank complete with internet banking access and a Visa card which has branches located throughout its home country and other EU nations. For details go to and select SPECIALS from the top menu or email us at office@expatworld.net with "Western Europe Bank Info" in the subject heading. ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... ================ NEWS STORY From nun to prostitute Ms van Raay went from nun to teacher to prostitute An Australian woman who became nun at the age of 18 but went on to spend 20 years working as prostitute has released a book on her life - under the provocative title God's Call Girl. Carla van Raay, who was born in Holland in 1938 but moved to Australia as a child, joined a Melbourne convent as a way of escaping a traumatic childhood. But after a number of conflicts with other nuns, she left and briefly became a teacher before embarking on a long-term life offering sex for money. ----- Law: Women are able to retain all property they owned prior to marriage in the case of divorce. However, this provision does not apply to men. Country: USA State: Alabama Citation: Section 30-4-1 Separate property of wife - Property held prior to marriage or acquired after marriage. All property of the wife, held by her previous to the marriage or to which she may become entitled after the marriage in any manner, is the separate property of the wife and is not subject to the liabilities of the husband. ----- TRAVELLER'S TALES BACKWARD THINKING: An Indian taxi driver whose car got stuck in reverse has become a celebrity. Harpreet Devi of Bhatinda was originally aghast when his gear-shift lever got jammed, especially since he was far from home. He astonished himself by successfully driving the car backwards 56 kilometres to his house. In a flash, he discovered his purpose in life. "That incident became inspiration for me," he told news agency Asian News International. He and his wife Krishna started driving backwards all the time. That was two years ago. These days they are experts at reverse-motoring, and are famous for it. They have travelled more than 12,000 kilometres backwards, can reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres an hour and have no problem manoeuvring through difficult traffic. His ultimate plan is to drive backwards across the India-Pakistan border as a symbol of peace and friendship. ----- BEER, THE NECTER OF LIFE "Sometimes when I reflect on all the beer I drink I feel ashamed. Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the brewery and all of their hopes and dreams. If I didn't drink this beer, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. I think, "It is better to drink this beer and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." -- Babe Ruth "I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. -- Lyndon B. Johnson "An intelligent man is sometimes forced to be drunk to spend time with his fools." -- Ernest Hemingway "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." -- Paul Hornung "24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I think not." -- H. L. Mencken "When we drink, we get drunk. When we get drunk, we fall asleep. When we fall asleep, we commit no sin. When we commit no sin, we go to heaven. So, let's all get drunk and go to heaven!" -- George Bernard Shaw "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -- Benjamin Franklin "Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza." -- Dave Barry BEER: HELPING UGLY PEOPLE HAVE SEX SINCE 3000 B.C.! -- W. C. Fields Remember "I"! before "E", except in Budweiser. -- Professor Irwin Corey To some it's a six-pack, to me it's a Support Group. Salvation in a can! -- Leo Durocher One night at Cheers, Cliff Clavin explained the "Buffalo Theory" to his buddy Norm: "Well ya see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine! That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers." ----- Oxymoron: tax return ----- ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============================ The Freeware Book It is a project that originated in the summer of 2002 to showcase great freeware sites and resources in an electronic book format (it is also a browser). It is a resource that is 100% freeware and 0% spyware or adware or in anyway shape or form ad supported. The long term goal of The Freeware Book is to foster the growth of freeware and freeware sites. Get it at ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD =============== EXPAT WORLD NEWSLETTER (VOL.16 ISSUE 03) Table of Content: - EXPATS IN ASIA - THE CITIES MOST ATTRACTIVE FOR AN ASSIGNMENT - BITS AND PIECES - 1/3 OF UK ADULTS CONSIDER WORKING ABROAD - ANYBODY BUT BUSH SAYS US EXPATRIATES - DO HERETICS SIT? - THE INTERNATIONAL TOY FAIR OFFERINGS - BEWARE COKE & POKE - HOW CORRUPT? - MALE -- FEMALE RELATIONSHIPS - PORTABLE TRADES & OCCUPATIONS - BEING A "PT" - (PERPETUAL TRAVELER) ON THE SEA - MILITARYCOVERUP.COM - PRIVACY BIG BROTHER CAN SPY ON YOU ANYWHERE - FINANCIAL PRIVACY BEGINS WITH AN OFFSHORE BANK - TAXING MATTERS -- OFFSHORE - AROUND THE WORLD WITH EXPAT WORLD - GET YOUR KIDS (OR YOURSELF) INTERNATIONALIZED - INTERNATIONAL SNIPS AND CLIPS - LETTER FROM AMERICA - DOONSBURY'S OFFER FOR PROOF ON BUSH - CRAPPER RAPPER - FOUND ON SHIT HOUSE DOORS - THE FLATULENCE DICTIONARY YOU MISSING SO MUCH Each week the EXPAT WORLD DIGEST gives you just a smattering of what you can find in the EXPAT WORLD newsletter that we produce once a month. 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