Julian Assange is doing humanity a favour by exposing through the US Embassy Cables that “Oil motivates U.S. policy more than fighting terrorists,” and that the killing and torturing of tens of thousands of civilians by the US and NATO forces in Iraq and Afghanistan through the Iraq War Logs and Afghanistan War Logs were evidence of war crimes.
However, to Assange’s dismay, as a western dissident, he does not enjoy the soft-power of being a Chinese dissident; the “free” world politicians not only fail to acknowledge the nobility of his work in exposing human rights violations and war crimes committed by NATO and the US, President Obama described his act as a “deplorable documents dump”; former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich believed that he should be “ treated as an enemy combatant”; Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell called him a “high-tech terrorist”; while Sarah Palin wanted him to be “hunted down like al-Qaeda”; Other politicians including some mainstream media “pundits openly calling for his death”.
As an instant response, WikiLeaks has been blocked from being accessed by federal employees of the US. So as in Germany.
In Canada, censors blocked his WikiLeaks website, Interpol issued an arrest warrant and the key advisor to Canada's PM Stephen Harper, Tom Flanagan, called for his assassination by drone.
Facebook reportedly deleted his WikiLeaks page together with his 30,000 fans; US government funded press watchdog (press freedom group), Reporters Without Borders accused him of “irresponsible”.
His sources of finance have been blocked by western corporations such as VISA, MasterCard, Amazon, PayPal, Western Union and Bank of America. As a result, WikiLeaks was forced to shut down briefly in 2010 due to their inability to plug the funding gap;
We can hardly find the mainstream western media showing any zest in promoting him as a human rights campaigner or press freedom fighter. In fact, as The Australian has observed, “the editors turn on him”; The Guardian also noticed that “more American journalists back away from WikiLeaks and Assange”. An opinion piece in the Washington Post called for his prosecution and then reform the espionage law.
If you trust the CNN poll, the American people appear to abandon him as well with 77% opposing his released of the US government documents.
Assange’s legal team complain that they have been watched and was also experiencing other forms of pressure from Washington.
In Australia, Assange had definitely been let down by his mother country. The Australian government not only failed to show interest in defending his basic human rights and promoting press freedom, PM Julia Gillard has joined the US in condemning him and alleged that he act illegally but unable to “say what law WikiLeaks has broken”; the Australian government had in a couple of occasions threatened to arrest him, in spite of the knowledge that Assange has been badly treated in the UK since 2010 – his personal freedom had been deprived by an electronic tag and was held under virtual house arrest, and having spent nine days in solitary confinement in a London prison for a crime that he has not been charged with and in relation to allegations that he emphatically denies. Assange has basically received no assistance from the Australian government, according to his mother.
An article on the Crikey rightly points out that, Julian Assange will be better off smuggling weapons in Baghdad, as weapon smugger received more help from the Australian government.
In fact, reports reveal that the Australian government has on one stage contemplated the idea of cancelling his passport; his Australian lawyer, Jennifer Robinson was once reportedly prevented from boarding a flight back to Australia at Heathrow airport citing the excuse that she was on a “watch list” and would need official approval to return to her native Australia.
Assange is a Western dissident, he does not enjoy the soft-power of being a Chinese one. His course may be noble and like the Russian suggested, deserve a Noble Peace Prize. However, the forces that determine his faith are powerful and merciless. He may end up like Bradley Manning in the notorious US military prison stripped naked every night in isolation and suffer from harassment and sleep-deprivation with accordance to the CIA interrogation manual. Some UN officials may occasionally comment about his treatment as “cruel and degrading”, most mainstream media will not report such commentaries anyway.
Manning trial by the “free” world will be in secrecy; his lawyer is reportedly struggling to have the government documents released so as to work out ways to defend him. Apparently, people who are concerned about his well being are also struggling to gain access to him.
The Australian government is fully aware of the mistreatment of Assange by the “free” world including the British authority and the Swedish, but Assange has been left alone to fend for himself.
Are human rights and freedom of press universal western values?
Wei Ling Chua
Accredited INS and ANFS Freelance Journalist
Independent Researcher of Media Disinformation
Blog: www.outcastjournalist.com
Alert me with more story: wchua62@gmail.com
Comments
Nonetheless he is accused of sexual assault
Nonetheless he is accused of sexual assault.
So much abuse of process in the Swedish case
So much abuse of process in the Swedish case that it seems obvious these accusations are part of a ploy to silence Assange. Checkout justice4assange.com and get educated about the case.
Julian Assange needs the Australian people to all make a stand
I'm one of milliona of Australians who are concerned about Julian Assange.
There are key people and noble ones at that speaking up and out about the tragic injustices he has been through and is still going through.
I'm ashamed of our government, including most of all the back stabbing Julia Gillard and her seems to be best friend Nicola Roxon.
They both lack what every leadfer needs human hearts that care.
Did they do anything to help Julian Assange. Nothing, to the opposote.
When does Australian politics show the people who are now disaffected, and in large part because of Julian Assanmge, going to stop being so cowardly and without any consionable characteristics.
Julian Assange needs the Australian people to all make a stand, and write to the Federal ministers to save Julian Assamnge and have him brought back to his homeland Australia.
I'm with him and his noble work as are everybody I know.
Best for Julian Assamge, you're one man who has opened doors for the masses to now say 'we want accountable governments, and they will happen whether the governments like it or not'.
Governments are meant to be there for all of us, including Julian, and look at where he's been and how he's been treated. Look at how we're all being treated. like children, instead of adults with every tight to honesty from our government who pushed her way in maliciously.
She should go to Guantanamo if she hasn't mentally already, one hell of a vindictive and coluuding with USA Rat.
David
Rape charges a set-up to aid the USA
Never on earth has anyone been acused [and this hasn't been proven] of sexual assault had to even vaguely consider the Americans want him for death oenalty for what they perceive as far larger threats, and Sarah Palin, others without any hearts let alone mindfulness, has said basically Julian's a Crim. when it's never been proven, and never can be.
Julian Assange is innocent of all rape charges; they've been a set-up to aid the USA and what Wikileaks has shown to the world now, as USA [and Ausdtralia's involved to Austra;ia's abominable dioredit] has done uncosncionable war deeds that needed to be exposed by many.
It was Wikileaks and Julian's Social Justice and nobility that places him as a celebrity and noble remarkable man, amomgst lyers, persecutors and politicians and others who wont yet admit when they make horrific mistakes, or mis-judgements.
Julian has paid a price and now he desrves the goods of Justice, real humane and freedom for him Justice only.
Best of good luck to Julian Assange.
He's an Australian legend, and the PM and Attorney General as well as Bob Carr should be protecting him in an Australian embassy right here.
Graham
Our politicians under incredible pressure to acquiesce to US
Thanks Wei Ling Chua for this well-researched and well-linked article. You paint this depressing picture with clarity.
I suspect our politicians are put under incredible pressure behind the scenes by the CIA and all its various diplomats and institutes and boards and think tanks and corporate interests to acquiesce to the American line.
Not that that excuses them morally for serving the powers of another country, rather than the true interests of the people they represent and should be there to serve ('serve'... now, there's an old-fashioned word), but I don't think they have a great deal of choice. For the US, political interests = economic interests, and all else must serve this pragmatic end. If any political player deviates from that rule, the iron fist of the CIA-military-corporate complex will emerge from its velvet glove. They are the government behind every government. Obama has had to bend the knee as well, or he wouldn't be there.
The last Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, who dared to defy them was removed from his office in a major CIA-ASIO operation, using every dirty trick in the book. This same covert cabal were quite likely instrumental in the deposing of Rudd. If that's how they treat their friends, you can imagine how they treat their enemies... actually, we don't have to imagine, it's all on the record, thanks to whistle-blowers and fearless truth seekers like Julian Assange.
The empire's power is maintained by secrecy and fooling the masses, and that's why the actions of our little Wikileaks 'David' have so enraged their giant Goliath. The least we can do is try to protect him and his fellow wikileakers by our support and solidarity. And hope that we're on the verge of a spring thaw, not an ice age.
I'll share your article to my facebook wall, thanks :)