Le Hien Duc, second from the left, at the awards ceremony in Berlin.

“This award is not just for me, but for all Vietnamese people who are combating corruption; today I’m honored to represent all of them,” Duc said.

She also confirmed: “I always trust the leadership of the Vietnamese State”.

“I don’t understand how they (TI) know the difficulty and challenges, but also joy, of my job, even better than my children and co-workers. They also understand the danger that I suffer and it moves me,” Duc said.

The cold weather in Berlin was painful for Duc because of her rheumatism, she was helped onstage by others to receive the award. Before nearly 100 attendants, she said: “My whole life, I have always worked to protect the legitimate interests of my people. I wish there was more integrity among people, both in Vietnam and the rest of the world.”

Duc went to Berlin with her niece, who acted as her interpreter. Duc will visit Warsaw and Paris before returning to Vietnam in early February.

Duc received the 2007 Integrity Award along with Professor Mark Pieth, an expert on criminology and criminal law of Basel University in, Switzerland.

TI’s sixth annual awards honor organizations and individuals who have taken on petty and grand corruption in different circumstances in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

After retiring from a primary school teaching position in 1984, Duc courageously struggled against corruption by filing complaints and helping others challenge petty bribery and large-scale graft.

Regardless of many threats and potential danger, Duc tracked down high and low-level officials to protest corruption on behalf of victim’s rights. 

Duc is an example for other Vietnamese in an effort to coordinate with the Government to fight corruption.

(Source: TTO)