Revelation of sex workers’ clients questioned

Online poll shows that more than 60 per cent agree with revealing identities of those engaged in illegal activities

Police in Kaili, Southwest China's Guizhou Province recently posted  photos and personal information of several offenders along a street billboard, which was widely criticised by citizens, asking whether police have broken the law and violated their privacy.

The 10 people were slapped with up to 15 days in detention for patronising sex workers, gambling and taking drugs, the Guizhou City News said. In a bid to crack down on such crimes, the police officers decided to expose their activities.

An online poll on news site sina.com shows that more than 60 percent of the 2,457 respondents agree revealing the identities of people engaged in illegal activities damages their dignity. Meanwhile, up to a third of respondents also regard the disclosure serves as a warning.



"Patronizing sex workers is illegal, but revealing personal information is legal? Those people have rights as well," a Weibo user posted. Other Weibo users also questioned whether police officers are aware of the law, which generated many likes.

"How do those people continue with their lives when personal information has been made public. They have been punished already, why should they suffer from the disclosure?" wrote another Weibo user.

"If such people object or disagree [over the exposure], they are free to get a lawyer or file cases in court," a Kaili police security bureau employee was quoted by the Legal Mirror as saying.

The public security bureau in Kaili said revealing offenders' identities, which included their photos, ages, hometowns, violations and punishments, is legally justified, the Legal Mirror reported Thursday.



The official's response was regarded as a provocation by Xie Zhiyong, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, who told the Global Times that if the public has doubts over police's work, police officers should have dealt with it in a responsible manner. "The police have violated those offenders' right to privacy," Xie said.

However, Beijing-based lawyer Mao Lixin disagreed, "If the public cannot recognize who they are, it's legit." He added that since the police had disclosed their surnames, and covered the people's eyes on the photos, that makes their actions legal.