Vietnam needs to provide greater incentives and legal protection forwhistleblowers, experts said at an international workshop on Nov. 3organised by the Office of the Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption.
Nguyen Dinh Phach, head of the committee, said informants are critically important in the fight against corruption.
However, he said few come forward to expose wrongdoing because ofreports about the whistleblowers facing retaliation for making reports.
"The regulations in many of our legal documents have not beenimplemented effectively enough to protect those who report corruption,"Phach said.
According to Nguyen Huy Lan, chief of the NgheAn Central Anti-Corruption Steering Committee, said that since 2008 thecommittee has received 150 letters exposing corrupt practices.
The committee dealt with 42 cases and reclaimed more than 32,200 billion VND (1.5 billion USD).
However, Lan said Nghe An is renowned for threats made to whistleblowers - and cases of actual revenge.
"Those who were courageous enough to come forward are now feeling aloneand insecure," Lan said. "There must be greater efforts to promote therole of the public in the fight against corruption."
ChuSu Jin, a representative from the Republic of Korea'sAnti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said RoK took variousmeasures to protect those who reported corruption.
Theseincluded employment guarantees, keeping personal information secret,personal protection and financial incentives taken from recoveredrevenues as a result of their reports. The rewards could add up to 2billion won (1.7 billion USD).
Speaking on the sideline ofthe conference, Le Van Lan, director of the Steering Committee onAnti-Corruption's General Affairs, said the Vietnamese legal system toprotect whistleblowers had proven insufficient.
Lan saidthe Ministry of Public Security is establishing a separate regulation toprotect those who exposed corruption and would submit it to Government.
"I agree that one of the best ways to protectwhistleblowers is to tackle their information in an effective, timelyand confidential manner," Lan said. "If we don't quickly solve thecases, those breaking the law will have more time to retaliate."./.