Last Sunday, 500 newly recruited civil servants participated in a ceremony in Guangzhou.

They all come from government customs and tax departments, which are deemed "highly vulnerable to corruption." (Actually, the original term is "highly dangerous professions," something that usually refers to construction workers who toil on skyscrapers, nurses who handle contagious diseases and the like.)

Wearing brand-new uniforms, they pledged to "work with loyalty and dedication, abide by the constitution and the laws, execute authorities conferred by the State, refrain from abusing power or seeking self-interest, be supervised by the masses and act as good public servants."

These are indeed noble and high-sounding words. But the problem is, are they useful in holding down the beast of corruption?

Some media commentators praise the oath as a psychological warning. One of the oath-takers told the press that he would think twice before getting into something murky: "I've made a pledge and it has got to have some restraint on me."

Others say this is all pomp and protocol. "The motive is good, but I seriously doubt its effectiveness," reads an article in China Business Times. Many reports listed such ceremonies across the nation and concluded that the public has yet to see the effect.

It is sad that a pledge to resist corruption is automatically met with scepticism and derision. But it shows how widespread and taken for granted corruption is in our society. There was a time when most took such promises seriously. But like it or not, we have moved from "the Age of Innocence" into "the Gilded Age."

That is the breeding ground for cynicism. What used to be solemn and sincere words now sound bombastic at best and downright hypocritical at worst.

Despite good intentions, many of the rituals held sacred by the old generation do not apply in this time and day. People demand accountability. A pledge against corruption is nice to start with, but what really matters is a mechanism, something like Hong Kong's ICAC, that reins in behaviours that constitute corruption and punishes officials for such wrongdoings.

Whatever positions they occupy, officials are first of all human beings and, like everyone else, have weaknesses when confronted with temptations. There are people who can rise above the hanky-panky a little longer, but without checks and balances, anyone is prone to straying from the rules if the rules are not enforced in the first place.

To chalk it up to character failings is an oversimplification and will only shift the focus from where it should be.

And seeking to counter the complexity of human behaviour with banal slogans is like the proverbial effort to put out a big fire with a cup of water.

The oath-taking ceremony is just a form. It becomes an empty pledge when not backed up with actions, and a laughingstock when blatantly contradicted by reality.

But even the ceremony should not be overdone. By its nature, ceremonies are already enhanced for dramatic effects. Overacting will only make it cheesier.

Some suggest that the young tax and customs officers may be sincere in their pledges. They haven't had the chance to embezzle or receive bribes yet. If the same ceremony is held for those who've already been in powerful positions for years, that will be either high drama or high camp.

E-mail: raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/19/2006 page4)