Many deputies at the National Assembly session on Wednesday stressed the importance of annonymous crime tips.

A draft Law of Accusation submitted at the session stated that “accusers must state their full name and address; report truthfully the content of their accusation; and provide all information and materials they have concerning the accusation.”

Many deputies claimed that anonymous accusations have proven popular and effective though they are not recognized under the proposed legal framework.

They said the act of accusation is sensitive and can cause harm to the accusers, given Vietnam’s poor whistleblower protections.

The objecting deputies said that many crimes will continue unreported if anonymous accusations remain legally inadmissable.

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption encourages member nations, including Vietnam, to implement laws that will allow residents to report happenings that could lead to the comission of a crime by any suitable means. This includes annonymous tips and accusations.

A government decree issued in October 2006 regarding the implementation of the Corruption Law also asked concerned agencies to accept and investigate anonymous accusations if they clearly state the content of the accusation and provide specific evidence.