China celebrities back protest newspaper

Yahoo – AFP, 8 January 2013

File picture of Chinese newspapers. China's blogosphere and celebrities -- 

many with millions of followers -- backed journalists at a newspaper embroiled

 in a censorship row after hundreds of people held a rare protest demanding

greater press freedom

Chinese bloggers and celebrities along with foreign media campaigners threw their support behind journalists at a newspaper enmeshed in a censorship row, after a rare protest for press freedom.

The widespread backing came after hundreds demonstrated at the Guangzhou headquarters of the popular liberal newspaper Southern Weekly, after an article urging greater respect of constitutional rights was censored by an official.

Wang Keqin, an investigative reporter on another newspaper, posted Tuesday on China's Twitter-like Weibo service: "A black hand closes heavy, black curtain, blocking brightness and fresh air as there is no weekend any more in the south."

The paper's Chinese name translates as Southern Weekend but it is widely known as Southern Weekly in English.

Yao Chen, an actress who has 32 million followers on her Weibo account, earlier posted the paper's logo and quoted Russian dissident Alexandr Solzhenitsyn: "One word of truth shall outweigh the whole world".

This picture taken on February 29, 2012 shows Chinese actress Yao Chen

 arriving at a sports promotion event in Beijing. Yao, who has 32 million followers

 on her Weibo account, posted the Southern Weekly newspaper's logo and

quoted Russian dissident Alexandr Solzhenitsyn

Fellow actor Chen Kun, who has 27 million followers, replied: "I am not that deep, and don't play with words, I support the friends at Southern Weekly".

The row erupted after censors Thursday blocked a New Year message in the paper, calling for the realisation of a "dream of constitutionalism in China" to protect citizens' rights, and replaced it with a weaker article, according to journalists.

The dispute over Southern Weekly comes amid pledges of change from the new leadership, headed by president-in-waiting Xi Jinping, which has promised a more open style of governance since the Communist Party congress in November.

Chinese media outlets are subject to directives from government propaganda departments, which often suppress news seen as negative by the ruling Communist Party, but some publications take a more critical stance.

Police allowed Monday's demonstration, which mainly included young people carrying posters and scattering chrysanthemums, a flower used at funerals in China which has become the protesters' symbol for the loss of press freedom.

The international media freedom group Reporters Without Borders praised the protestors' "show of courage" and called for the original article to be published.

"This act of censorship is indicative of the government's habitual contempt for media freedom, although it is guaranteed by the Chinese constitution," its secretary general Christophe Deloire said in a statement.

Pictures of more demonstrations in Guangzhou, although on a smaller scale, appeared on Weibo, with the posters saying that was when they were taken.

The gatherings followed an open letter from the newspaper's staff which called for the resignation of provincial propaganda official Tuo Zhen, who was said to have removed the New Year message and replaced it with a weaker article.

The paper had had 1,034 articles changed or withdrawn last year, the editors said in a later message.

Over the weekend a letter signed by scores of prominent academics from across China emerged calling for the immediate removal of Tuo and for greater press freedom.

The popular blogger Han Han, named by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2010, lamented the pressure that journalists faced.

"It empowers the weak and encourages the pessimists to keep going. So when it is weak and pessimistic, I hope we can give it some small strength and accompany it to keep it going," he wrote, referring to the paper.

Li Chengpeng, who has 6.5 million followers on Weibo, wrote: "We don't need tall buildings... the world's second largest GDP... aircraft carriers, but we need a newspaper that speaks the truth.

He continued: "All the major countries that command respect in the world have a newspaper that is permitted to speak the truth."

But a commentary in the English-language Global Times, which is close to the ruling party, on Tuesday said authorities would not allow radical changes in media policy.

"The country is unlikely to have the 'absolutely free media' that is dreamed of by those activists," it said. "The Southern Weekly issue will not be concluded with a surprise ending."

In an unusual move, the major web major portals carrying the Chinese language version of the article -- Sina, Sohu, Tencent and Netease -- posted disclaimers in an apparent effort to distance themselves from it.

Re-publishing the Global Times article "does not mean that our website agrees with its opinion or verifies what it describes", the message on Sina said.

The over-editing of content caused an uproar among journalists and intellectuals

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Anger online as Saudi in his 90s marries 15-year-old

BBC News, 7 January 2013

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The case has drawn a sharp reaction
from Saudis on social networks

The case of a Saudi man in his 90s who has married a girl of 15 has drawn widespread criticism on Twitter and other social media in the country.

Some Saudis have been asking whether the case amounts to trafficking or child abuse.

Local media reports say the man paid a dowry of $17,000 (£10,500) in order to get married to the girl.

A series of similar cases in recent years has drawn attention to the issue of child marriage in the kingdom.

The girl in the latest case was so frightened that on the wedding night she locked her husband outside the bedroom and eventually escaped back to her parents, local media reports say.

The husband is reported to be considering legal action to get either her or his dowry back.

The case reflects how online social networks have become a vital forum for public discussion in what has long been an opaque, even closed society, with Saudis now taking to Twitter faster than anywhere else in the world, the BBC's Middle East analyst Sebastian Usher reports.

Thousands of girls under 14 are reported to have been married off to richer, much older men, he adds.

There appears to be widespread support in Saudi society for a minimum age for marriage, which the authorities say they are working towards.

However, some of the most conservative religious scholars are still resisting the idea, while insisting that girls must have reached puberty before marriage.

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Archangel Michael: The Declaration of Human Freedom

“… No person shall be forced into marriage against his or her will. No woman shall be forced to bear or not bear children, against her will. No person shall be forced to hold or not hold views or worship in a manner contrary to his or her choice. Nothing vital to existence shall be withheld from another if it is within the community’s power to give. …”


"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Bank of America to pay Fannie Mae billions to settle mortgage claims

BBC News, 7 January 2013

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The bank is also the subject of a
 civil lawsuit brought by federal
prosecutors

Bank of America has agreed to pay US government mortgage agency Fannie Mae $3.6bn (£2.2bn) to settle claims relating to residential home loans.

In addition, it has agreed to buy back 30,000 mortgages for $6.75bn, and pay a further $1.3bn in compensation.

Fannie Mae argued the bank sold it toxic debts and should be responsible for the losses it suffered as result.

Separately, ten big mortgage providers agreed to pay $8.5bn in compensation for mistakes in repossessing homes.

The banks include Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. They will pay $3.3bn directly to homeowners, some of whom should not have lost their homes, regulators said.

Individual owners will receive anything from a few hundred dollars to $125,000.

Loan assistance and write-offs will make up the remaining $5.2bn.

Heavy losses

Fannie Mae supports the US mortgage market, which collapsed in 2008 after the housing bubble burst.

In the run-up to the financial crisis of 2007-8, home loans grouped together and sold on as investments became increasingly popular.

When the underlying mortgage holders were unable to repay their debts, the investments plummeted in value, with disastrous consequences for banks all over the world.

Freddie Mac is the other government mortgage agency. The two firms lost more than $30bn, partly because of their investments in the subprime mortgages, and were bailed out by the US government.

Since the rescues, US taxpayers have spent more than $140bn to keep the firms afloat.

Bank of America settled with Freddie Mac in 2011.

'Significant step'

The agreement brings to an end a long-running dispute between Fannie Mae and Bank of America.

"A favourable resolution of this long-standing dispute between Fannie Mae and Bank of America is in the best interest of taxpayers," said Bradley Lerman at Fannie Mae.

The company said the loans "did not meet our standards at the time of origination, and we are pleased to have reached an appropriate agreement to collect on these repurchase requests."

The agreement covers loans worth about $1.4tn, with outstanding balances of $300bn.

Bank of America said the settlements were "a significant step in resolving our remaining legacy mortgage issues".

In October, the US government sued the bank for alleged mortgage fraud, accusing subsidiary Countrywide Financial of selling thousands of toxic home loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Earlier in the month, it took similar action against the banks Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase.

In October, JP Morgan was sued for allegedly defrauding investors who lost more than $20bn on mortgage-backed securities sold by Bear Stearns.

JP Morgan, which bought the investment bank in March 2008, said the allegations related to actions at Bear Stearns prior to its takeover.

In the same month, Wells Fargo was also sued by federal authorities for alleged mortgage fraud.

It's 'cash only' now for tourists at the Vatican

The Daily Star, AP, Frances D'emilio, January 3, 2013

People queue to enter the Vatican Museums, at the Vatican Thursday,
Jan. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

                              

VATICAN CITY: It's "cash only" now for tourists at the Vatican wanting to pay for museum tickets, souvenirs and other services after Italy's central bank decided to block electronic payments, including credit cards, at the tiny city state.

The Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported Thursday that Bank of Italy took the action because the Holy See has not yet fully complied with European Union safeguards against money laundering. That means Italian banks are not authorized to operate within the Vatican, which is in the process of improving its mechanisms to combat laundering.

The Vatican says it's scrambling to find a non-Italian bank to provide the electronic payment services "quite soon" but declined to discuss Bank of Italy's concerns.

The central bank had no immediate comment on the situation.

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Nepalese protests mirror Indian anger over rape

The Daily Star, AFP, January 03, 2013

Nepalese activists shout slogans as they march near the Prime Minister's
 residence in Kathmandu on January 3, 2013, during a protest demanding
justice in rising cases of violence against women. AFP PHOTO/Prakash MATHEMA

                              

KATHMANDU: Hundreds of Nepalese campaigners protested Thursday over the alleged rape and robbery of a maid by government officials, echoing widespread anger in neighbouring India over violence against women.

Sita Rai, an assumed name used by the 21-year-old to protect her identity, says she was robbed by officials and then raped by a policeman as she returned to Kathmandu's international airport from Saudi Arabia.

Rai was given $1,700 in compensation by the government -- $700 less than the amount she says she lost -- angering demonstrators who began picketing the residence of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai a week ago, demanding punishment of the accused.

Around 200 human rights activists, journalists and other protesters have been holding up photographs of many other victims of rape, murders and kidnappings, accusing the government of failing to act in each case.

"The cases of violence against women came out one after another and I thought enough is enough, now is the time to act. So, I joined the protest, which was small in the beginning but is now gaining momentum," said Ananta Koirala.

Police have since made several arrests in Rai's case and Bhattarai has spoken of his "shame" over the government's response to her complaint.

Mass protests in India over the gang rape last month of a 23-year-old student who subsequently died have shone a light on an alleged culture of impunity over sex attacks in its Himalayan neighbour.

Nepalese media have not always prioritised the issue of violence against women, with the gang rape by five men of a 21-year-old Buddhist nun on a bus 18 months ago receiving relatively little coverage.

The latest data compiled by the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime show 69 complaints of rape to police in 2006 in Nepal, but the figure is likely to under-represent the problem because of the difficulty in reporting cases.

The national Women's Commission says more than 15 percent of Nepalese women suffer some form of sexual abuse during their lifetime.

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Swiss bank Wegelin to close after US tax evasion fine

BBC News, 4 January 2013

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Wegelin admitted that its actions
had been "wrong"

Switzerland's oldest bank is to close permanently after pleading guilty in a New York court to helping Americans evade their taxes.

Wegelin, which was established in 1741, has also agreed to pay $57.8m (£36m; 44m euros) in fines to US authorities.

It said that once this was completed, it "will cease to operate as a bank".

The bank had admitted to allowing more than 100 American citizens to hide $1.2bn from the Internal Revenue Service for almost 10 years.

Wegelin, based in the small Swiss town of St Gallen, started in business 35 years before the US declaration of independence.

It becomes the first foreign bank to plead guilty to tax evasion charges in the US.

Other Swiss banks have in recent years moved to prevent US citizens from opening offshore accounts.

US Attorney Preet Bharara said: "The bank wilfully and aggressively jumped in to fill a void that was left when other Swiss banks abandoned the practice due to pressure from US law enforcement."

He added that it was a "watershed moment in our efforts to hold to account both the individuals and the banks - wherever they may be in the world - who are engaging in unlawful conduct that deprives the US Treasury of billions of dollars of tax revenue".

Otto Bruderer, a managing partner at the bank, said it was aware that its previous conduct had been "wrong".

'Aggressively pursuing'

After Wegelin was first indicted by US authorities in February last year, it was declared a fugitive from justice when its executives failed to appear in a US court.

The bank had vowed to fight the charges, claiming that because it only had branches in Switzerland, it was bound only by its home country's relaxed banking laws.

Jeffrey Neiman, a former US federal prosecutor who was involved in a previous investigation into Swiss banks, said: "It is unclear whether the bank was required to turn over American client names who held secret Swiss bank accounts.

"What is clear is that the Justice Department is aggressively pursuing foreign banks who have helped Americans commit overseas tax evasion."

It remains to be seen whether US authorities will continue with, or drop, parallel charges against three Wegelin bankers, Michael Berlinka, Urs Frei and Roger Keller.

The Wegelin case comes four years after a far larger Swiss bank, UBS, agreed to pay a $780m fine to US authorities related to tax evasion charges. UBS also agreed to reveal the details of US account holders.

However, UBS neither pleaded nor was found guilty. Instead it and US prosecutors came to what is called a deferred prosecution agreement, with the fine being paid in exchange for the charges being dropped.

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'A prayer a day' for Slovak politicians

Google – AFP, 3 January 2013 

A woman prays under the Central Cross of a cemetery in the Slovak

village of Bobrovec on October 30, 2011 (AFP/File, Joe Klamar)

BRATISLAVA — Disillusioned Slovaks are turning to the power of prayer in the hope of cleaning up politicians widely regarded as corrupt.

More than 400 people have vowed to pray for the politician of their choice for at least five minutes a day for six months since the Internet initiative was launched on Tuesday by Slovakia's Christian Youth Communities Association.

"Some people choose their favourite politician, while others might pray for their least favourite lawmaker in order to change their behaviour," association spokeswoman Maria Janusova told AFP.

She declined to name the politicians who have mustered the most prayers so far.

"As Christians, we believe that if we unite in prayer, we can make a change," Janusova explained.

The group's website, where people can sign up for the initiative adds: "We believe that God wants values such as justice, honesty and respect for life to be recognised in politics."

Slovak politics were rocked to the core last year when a secret-service file code-named Gorilla leaked on the Internet revealed alleged links between oligarchs from a private financial group and nearly all of the country's political elite.

The leak has inspired the rise of the Internet-fuelled "anti-Gorilla" movement, attracting thousands to rallies in Slovakia's capital Bratislava.

But the protests ended shortly after the March 2012 elections, in which voters ousted the centre-right government and handed an unprecedented victory to leftist Robert Fico and his Smer social democratic party, which survived the scandal.

More than a year after the scandal erupted, police are still investigating and have yet to press charges.

In the 2011 census, 62 percent of Slovakia's 5.4 million citizens said they were Roman Catholic, while 5.9 percent declared themselves Protestant.

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Assam women beat 'sex-attack politician' Bikram Singh Brahma

BBC News, 3 January 2013

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Women tore off the suspect's shirt

Indian police have detained a politician accused of rape after he was set upon and beaten by crowds in a village in Assam state.

National television broadcast footage of Bikram Singh Brahma, from the Congress Party, being stripped of his shirt and slapped by the women.

Police acted after the victim's husband reported the alleged rape.

Pressure has grown for tougher action on rape since a woman was attacked in Delhi on 16 December and later died.

Five men have been charged with the kidnap, gang-rape and murder of the 23-year-old, whose name has not been released.

The government has set up a committee under a retired supreme court judge to recommend changes to the law on rape.

Stripped and slapped

The incident in Assam, in north-eastern India, took place in a village in Chirang district, on the border with Bhutan.

According to Chirang police, quoted by the Indian Express newspaper, a man reported that his wife had been raped during the night by Mr Brahma.

The politician allegedly entered the woman's house and raped her at about 02:00 (20:30 GMT Wednesday), according to a police official.

The villagers ran to the house and captured the man after hearing the woman scream, the official told AP news agency.

Indian TV broadcast footage of Mr Brahma surrounded by men and women in a street by daylight.

Some men kick and beat him with what appears to be a stick, before others restrain them. Then women move in, tearing off his shirt and slapping him in the face and on his arms.

A man is later seen spraying graffiti on a car.

Police arrived in the village at noon but the people holding Mr Brahma initially refused to hand him over, according to the Times of India newspaper.

They demanded officers record him confessing to the rape before he was taken away.

Police told the paper they had taken him into custody but had not arrested him, pending the registration of the case.

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Christie lambasts House Republicans over Sandy bill: 'Shame on Congress'

Republican New Jersey governor singles out 'failure' of John Boehner after Speaker delays vote on hurricane Sandy aid

guardian.co.uk, Ewen MacAskill in Washington, Wednesday 2 January 2013

New Jersey governor Chris Christie speaks at a news conference at New
 Jersey's State House in Trenton. Photograph: AP Photo/New Jersey
Governor's Office

The plain-speaking governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, embarked on an extended tirade against his own party members in Congress on Wednesday, raging against what he described as the "toxic internal politics" of House Republicans.

Christie, a high-profile Republican who is among the potential candidates for a run at the presidency in 2016, used invective against his own party usually only heard in attacks from Democrats.

Although he was specifically angry over the House's failure to vote on a compensation package for victims of hurricane Sandy, he expanded his rant to criticise House Republicans in general and the House Republican Speaker John Boehner in particular.

In the face of heavy criticism from Christie and other Republicans, Boehner scheduled a vote on the aid package for Friday.

Christie, speaking at a 40-minute long press conference before that announcement, reflected widespread criticism, mainly on the left but also among independents and many Republicans, that the Tea Party-backed Republicans in the House are a disruptive influence, creating chaos in Washington.

"Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress, which places one-upmanship ahead of the lives of the citizens who sent these people to Washington DC in the first place," Christie said.

He added: "America deserves better than yet another example of a government that has forgotten who they are there to serve and why." Referring specifically to the failure to act on the hurricane Sandy package, he said: "Shame on you. Shame on Congress."

Christie said that, historically, lawmakers in Washington did not play politics with disaster relief, but in the present atmosphere, everything was the subject of gamesmanship. "They are so consumed with their internal politics, they've forgotten they have a job to do," Christie said. "Everything is the subject of one-upmanship. It is why the American people hate Congress."

His anger over hurricane Sandy was echoed by other governors and members of Congress from the north-east.

Even before Christie's remarks, the showdown over the fiscal cliff fully exposed the extent of the divisions within the Republican party. Republicans in the Senate, dominated by moderate members who have held their seats for a long time, voted as a largely cohesive unit on Tuesday in favour of the fiscal cliff deal.

There were only five rebels, two of them senators who are Tea Party favourites: Marco Rubio and Rand Paul.

In contrast with the Senate, the House, whose membership is backed to a greater extent by the Tea Party, was deeply divided. Only 85 Republicans voted for the fiscal cliff deal, with 151 against.

The divide was geographical as well as ideological, with a large bloc of those voting in favour predominantly from the more liberal north-east and those against from the more conservative south.

At the press conference, Christie said Republicans had failed in their duty by not passing the hurricane Sandy package. Republicans, conscious of keeping down federal spending, have questioned measures in the package that they regard as wasteful.

"Last night, the House of Representatives failed that most basic test of public service and they did so with callous indifference to the suffering of the people of my state," he said.

"There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their Speaker John Boehner," he added. He described Boehner's decision to cancel the vote on the aid package as disappointing and "disgusting".

Christie is a popular figure and his reputation grew over his handling of hurricane Sandy, in particular his bipartisan posture and his willingness to put aside politics to work with president Barack Obama, even though the White House election was looming.

He could struggle to win support among fellow Republicans in mid-west states such as Iowa, where the first of the caucuses are held, because his views on abortion, gun control and immigration are regarded as too liberal.

Rubio, who voted against the fiscal cliff deal, is among the present favourites.

US President Barack Obama (R) is greeted by New Jersey

 Governor Chris Christie (AFP, Jewel Samad)

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

Internet whistleblowers named CCTV's 'People of the Year'

Want China Times, Chang Kai-sheng and Staff Reporter 2013-01-01

Zhou Xiaoyun wears a face mask but makes his identity known when
he unmasks wrongdoing. (Internet photo)

Online whistleblowers have been named the "People of the Year" by China's state broadcaster CCTV due to the many scandals exposed on the internet by netizens over the course of 2012.

CCTV's News Weekly program said the scandals posted online, usually on Sina Weibo, China's leading equivalent of Twitter, stunned the whole country with their revelations of everything from corruption, sex scandals, the mismanagement of corporations and toxic food.

An example would be that of a local official in Guangzhou who was shown by an internet user to own 20 apartments, commercial offices and mansions, way beyond what he could afford on his official salary.

The user's post, accompanied by photos of the houses owned by the official, drew widespread public attention as soon as it went up, with tens of thousands of internet users commenting, forwarding the post and dubbing the official "Uncle House."

Two days later, the Communist Party in Guangzhou announced on its official website that it was checking up on the allegations. Two weeks later, it said the official had been removed.

Most Chinese internet users choose to believe the accusations made by whistleblowers, although they don't know them and have no way of verifying their allegations — a sign of the pervasive cynicism among a population that knows their government rarely tells the truth unless it has to.

Wang Xixin, dean of law at Peking University, said most such whistleblowers are supported by internet users since their allegations allow the general public to vent their feelings of displeasure at the injustices prevalent in society.

He said whistleblowers are people who are concerned about the general public's welfare and win their admiration because they identify with people's desire for a better standard of living.

Kuang Wenpo, a professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, said it is hard to determine whether whistleblowing is a practice worth encouraging, because not all the allegations they leveled were necessarily true.

Although many online whistleblowers prefer to make their allegations anonymously, Zhou Xiaoyun, who brought to light the fact that state petroleum company Sinopec had bought expensive liquor in contravention of existing regulations on official luxury consumption earlier this year, used his own name when he leaked the news on the internet. "I used my name while revealing scandals to show I stand by my stories, which are backed by ironclad evidence," said Zhou.

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