Fewer State secrets, better public welfare
China Daily  Updated: 2005-09-14 06:08

The National Administration for Protection of State Secrets and the Ministry of Civil Affairs declared at a press conference on Monday that starting from August, the death toll from natural disasters would no longer be a State secret.

This appears a step behind practice. Over the years, the public has become accustomed to the media's graphic accounts of human losses to natural disasters.

Even the Civil Affairs Ministry itself has been publishing nationwide death tolls from natural disasters in recent years.

At local levels, some officials were found to report exaggerated figures of loss to swindle bigger relief packages.

But up until Monday morning, data of loss of lives had remained a part of Chinese State secrets in legal terms.

According to a decree issued jointly by the two institutions on February 29, 2000, "the number of people killed, fleeing home from famine, becoming beggars as a result of natural disasters, as well as other relevant data" were classified State secrets.

Their unauthorized release was subject to criminal investigation.

So spokespersons of both agencies acknowledged at the press conference the decision to declassify death toll figures was in part a subsequent endorsement of a fait accompli.

The belated announcement deserves celebration because it has removed a lingering threat to our right to know.

Amid the government's promises to guarantee citizens' right to know as well as the latter's increasingly bolder claim for such a right, we have taken for granted timely access to the truth when disasters strike.

But as long as that legal barrier stood, such information supply could be stalled at any time. After all, access to the information was illicit.

The spokespersons said the declassification was aimed at facilitating public awareness, disaster prevention and relief, and also international collaboration.

Full access to information about damage can help people make sensible choices when they find themselves in harm's way.

For relief work, timely and precise figures may be critical for efficient distribution of resources.

They are also a significant basis for evaluating assistance requirements.

Additionally, transparency will serve as the most effective deterrent against corruption in disaster relief.

People need to know the scope of damage to practise meaningful watch over their caretakers in executing relief programmes.

It is regrettable that when they announced termination of "relevant contents" in the 2000 decree, the spokespersons failed to clarify the scope of such "contents."

There was no mention whatsoever whether the entire clause or only the reference to death toll figures would be abolished.

It would be strange if the declassification involved only death toll figures.

If the number of people died in natural disasters can be made available to the public, there is little ground for continuing to conceal those figures of people rendered homeless, or begging.

Survivors in need should logically be the focus of relief. Their conditions are the most important references for relief plans.

Withholding such information will hamper the disaster areas' recovery and leave lasting negative impacts on local development.

Many cities are annoyed by an influx of homeless people and beggars, who fell victim to natural disasters in the countryside.

Should they get timely and appropriate assistance, the likelihood is lower for them to head for cities and beg.

To ensure all the needy get help, the public's access to information about natural disasters should be complete and thorough.

(China Daily 09/14/2005 page4)

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