Introduction

Asia has no monopoly on corruption. Ubiquitous and pernicious, corruption respects neither international boundaries nor national laws. It is so widespread not only in Asia but also in Europe[1], Africa and South America, probably providing a significant portion of civil servants' family income, that it is simply accepted as a way of life and rarely even mentioned. This "everyday" corruption is seen as just another cost of living, although it is often on this level that cosmetic attempts to clean up are directed. Corruption on the general private business level, where kickbacks ...