People's active participation in an "online photo campaign to save child beggars" promoted on micro-blogs on a largescale has helped rescued six kidnapped children. Though netizens' intentions are justified, the release of children's personal information on the Internet could create more trouble for them, says an article on eastday.com.cn. Excerpts:

Not all child beggars are kidnapped children. Hence, netizens who take photographs of child beggars and post them on the Internet may be intruding into the privacy of these children. As the Law on the Protection of Minors says, "no organization or individual should disclose the personal particulars of minors".

The photographs may help some parents know the whereabouts of their kidnapped children, but such information should actually be provided to the police who could devise and execute rescue plans. In fact, hasty release of clues could jeopardize the rescue of abducted children.

Though the online campaign has helped authorities rescue some kidnapped children, the random release of information on the Internet could put the hostages' lives in danger and create greater problems for the police.

So it is important that the authorities release information on children after judging the pros and cons minutely.

The National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Committee (CPPCC) are likely to discuss the rescue of minor beggars at their annual sessions later this year. If they do, they should take steps to establish better coordination with government departments and professional NGOs to safeguard their rights and give them education.