Protection of whistle-blowers a welcome move

THE SUPREME PEOPLE'S PROCURATORATE, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Finance recently issued a joint regulation that says whistle-blowers providing tip-offs about officials committing crimes by taking advantage of their positions should have their homes and property protected, and they might be given a substantial bonus if they make a special contributions to the anti-corruption campaign. That's a welcome move, but the key to its effectiveness lies in how it is implemented, says cjn.cn:

It is quite risky for people to provide tip-offs about officials who have committed crimes by taking advantage of their official positions, because the officials often have power in hand and can easily use it to get revenge on those who report about their crimes. Worse, as some cases show, even after the officials get disciplinary penalties or are jailed, the officials can still use their influence to gain revenge on the whistle-blower. Many people that could speak up about the crimes of officials choose to remain silent because they do not want any trouble.

Therefore, in order to encourage people to blow the whistle, the authorities need to protect them and make them feel safe. Only when they are free from fear of revenge, will people dare to report on corrupt officials.