Media release December 7, 2010
Sydney Stop the War Coalition today condemned PM Julia Gillard for joining the witch hunt against Julian Assange and the Wikileaks website.
“One reason for the vitriol is that it has exposed the triviality and shallowness of the official analysis of the US diplomats and State Department bureaucrats”, said Anne Picot, a spokesperson for Stop the War Coalition.
“It’s on this basis these people make decisions to invade countries, send in drones to kill innocent people and impose deadly sanctions that affect millions of ordinary people”.
She continued: ”We congratulate Wikileaks anti-war stand in publishing the multitude of documents detailing the horrors of the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. The anger of Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, the US government bureaucrats and Pentagon officials, at the leaks tells us that Wikileaks is indeed bringing ‘truth to the world’.
“It is shameful that the Australian government and much of the Australian media has rushed in to join the condemnation. It demonstrates, once more, the subservience of the Gillard government to US foreign policy interests.”
Ms Picot noted that Julian Assange has likened his treatment by the PM and Attorney General, Robert McClelland (who described Assange’s actions as “irresponsible” and “reprehensible”) as similar to the victimisation of David Hicks.
“The PM is speaking out against Julian Assange for publishing material detailing the war crimes in Afghanistan, in which the Australian government is complicit. But she is not not condemning the crimes which are the real threat to peace and stability”, Ms Picot said.
“The real threat in the world today is the US occupation of Afghanistan and the Obama government’s sabre-rattling towards other countries, such as Iran”, she said.
Julian Assange and Wikileaks reminds the world of the power of the corporate media, the lack of government accountability and the injustices of the wars waged by these governments. The efforts of people such as Julian Assange provide a vital resource for anti-war and human rights activists around the world in the struggle against unjust war and occupation.
On December 10, Human Rights Day, Sydney Stop the War Coalition and Refugee Action Coalition will be speaking out against the war in Afghanistan and the government’s racist treatment of refugees when they arrive in Australia from war zones. (See details below.)
Speak-out on Human Rights Day, December 10
Stop the war on refugees
Troops out of Afghanistan
Speak out on Human Rights Day
5.30pm Friday Dec 10, Sydney Town Hall
Organised by Stop the War Coalition and Refugee Action Coalition
Comments