Only strong supervision can prevent philanthropy deviating from purpose

A WOMAN IN WU'AN, North China's Hebei province, was recently detained for extorting money by seeking donations using children she had adopted as a front. This is not an isolated example of people using a "charity" for their own profit. People's Daily comments:

Some supposedly philanthropic activities take advantage of people's desire to help others as a way to make illegal profits. For instance, some resell the clothes donated to children of impoverished families in the countryside market to fatten their own pockets, while some even directly embezzle donations.

Those using charity for personal gain do not necessarily deserve penalties heavier than other racketeers, fraudsters or embezzlers. But the exposure of these cases has to some extent tarnished the image of the genuine charity providers, as the lawbreakers have sought to profit from people's kindness.