The spirit of the law will be aimed at assuring people who volunteer information about corruption, or serve as witnesses in corruption trials - that their lives, and those of their family members, will be protected.

Details on the protective measures, the scope of the law, and other aspects have not yet been specified. University law lecturers, who conducted a feasibility study, have been hired to work out the draft.

The witness protection law is part of the OCSC work plan for the next year, which also includes a career development programme to improve the performance of government officials in all offices, according to PM's Office Minister Khunying Dhipavadee Meksawan.

An ex-OCSC chief, Dhipavadee said she was confident the career development programme would be put into effect within the one-year term of the Surayud government. "It's not difficult to make government officials highly reliable, and true professionals," she said.

The average age of government officials is 43, and those in their 30s and 50s make up 70 per cent of all the state workforce. Moves being considered to enhance officials' professional skills include making career development skills mandatory when new staff are enlisted.

To mark the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King on December 5, 2007, Preecha said the OCSC was in the process of working out a decree to pardon all officials who are being penalised or undergoing disciplinary action.

Another major OCSC work plan was the setting up of a "committee on protection of officials' virtue system" that would take direct disciplinary action and impose punishments for corruption.

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation