OPINION> EDITORIALS
Keeping faith
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-24 07:55

On the very first day the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) activated its new hotline and updated website for reporting abuses of power, there was a deluge of clues.

The website - with a bandwidth that allows 1,000 people to simultaneously report suspected abuse by public servants - broke down due to heavy traffic. There were far too many clicks than it had been designed to handle, said SPP sources. And the hotline received more than 1,800 calls on Monday.

What do we see here? Signs that people care. They want to see injustice remedied, and officials guilty of abuse held accountable. And, they have the hope, if not the confidence, that the clues they provide may help, should the authorities be serious about bringing offenders to account. These are invaluable advantages to begin with, and we hope the SPP can truly appreciate the public response and respect the expectations that are evident.

Of course, it may not necessarily be trust that made a person pick up the phone or use the Internet to share with the SPP knowledge about a possible violation. But, the way the clues are processed can build or break trust in the SPP, and the authorities in general. The SPP promised to have every clue checked, every abuse of authority investigated, and every source properly protected. It is reported to have developed special software to monitor processing of clues assigned to local authorities for being followed up.

Keeping faith

Given the convenience of the Internet, there's no need to worry about whether or not the SPP pursues every clue received. There are ways to ensure that it does so. Instead, it is more important to see active and authentic work on the SPP's part for protection of citizens who report suspected fraud.

Though it is not compulsory, SPP staff routinely asks informants for personal information, which may help reduce false reports. But can the SPP ensure that the personal data be properly protected? The SPP has said that personal information will be protected, but not how it will do so.

There have been many instances of those who registered complaints against official misconduct being targeted. There have been cases of private information, which were shared only with supposedly trustworthy official institutions, being abused for various illicit activities, including business.

Will it be different with SPP? Since the SPP would be referring a good number of the clues it receives to local authorities, the risk of wrongful use of personal data is greater. It would be an unacceptable betrayal if citizens who report abuse are exposed and persecuted by the very offenders against whom they have lodged complaints.

The SPP must be aware that public trust is too precious to be played with. It is easy to lose it, but once lost, a lot more difficult to regain.

(China Daily 06/24/2009 page8)