Keep charity clean

A handful of unscrupulous people can sour a good cause. Unless handled properly, the verified cases of misuse of donations and the rumors about it may cause unimaginable damage to the enthusiasm for acts of charity. Worse still, their negative impact on people's confidence in government-sponsored charitable undertakings can be far-reaching.

The May 31 circular issued by the State Council on strengthening the management of donations for victims of the Wenchuan earthquake, therefore, is a worthy response to public concerns.

Among the guiding principles the document spelt out, there is a special emphasis on respecting donors' intentions, as well as on transparency and supervision. These, we believe, are particularly important at this point.