Admission - "I work for open ethical governance both for NZ and globally"
My efforts in the New Zealand democracy have utilised the fantastic trove of files and information provided by Whistleblowers to Wikileaks. I desire that Wikileaks and its editor Julian Assange are provided with a refuge or safe harbour to continue their public good.
Assange and Wikileaks are under an enormous cloud - Julian's solitary confinement in the London Ecuador Embassy is the result of collusion between the UK and US and lately Ecuador with the recent leadership change in that nation.
How can ordinary people assist resolve the dilemma? Our democracies provide various tools which where exercised and responded to with integrity ought provide just outcomes. We can test that thesis in New Zealand through it's democratic machinery.
Along with a few friends I've initiated a Parliamentary petition which seeks to provide Wikileaks editor Julian Assange with political asylum in NZ along with a guarantee of safe passage from the London Ecuador Embassy UK to NZ. I've requested the NZ Parliament Clerk to extend the close date from 19 to 24 July (24 July close - confirmed 16 July - see edited capture below petition link).
Assange has been under arbitrary detention since 7 Dec 2010.
Please consider signing the petition:
Reasons over and above those set out in the petition text
Assange puts his neck on the block to protect whistleblowers and publishes 100% truth.
Wikileaks have never had to redact a single publication, however, Julian is literally dying in solitary confinement.
British doctors confirmed he needs urgent hospital care.
U.N. and Geneva Convention say release him immediately and pay compensation.
Parlous State of the World and its Institutions
The world that NZ inhabits is chaotic - international affairs and political relationships are shifting and it is difficult to navigate the maze even with a road map - relationships are being transformed. Where governments keep odious secrets - whistleblowers reveal deep-state crime.
Modern history's pivot point at the turn of the century, is the 9/11 Crime and resultant global war on terror (GWOT). The world has been disrupted from creating sustainable and equitable solutions.
9/11 and GWOT became the dead cat slung on the dining room table of history - instead of learning the lessons and repairing relationships, accepting the end of the exponential growth paradigm, the world's agenda and focus became the crusading terror war.
Since 9/11 new legislative measures flowed to the world of nations from the US Patriot Act.
The implications for New Zealand as with most of the West are increased surveillance and paranoia about terrorism as well as entanglement in imperialism's foreign wars.
New Zealand as a partner of Empire was obliged to carry legislative measures to dovetail with the US attitude. The following graph might place historical terrorism in context - deaths from so-called terrorism.
2001 is the stand out year. It's an anomaly as it bucked the downward trend.
Death from War has gone up.
As far as I'm aware there hasn't been a 'terrorist act' committed in NZ in this period
There has been mass opposition to the increase of surveillance and Western war-mongering with global and NZ public opposition to the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. Parallel to GWOT is opposition to the extension of State Power to monitor citizens with the GCSB Bill of 2013 and the implications of legalised mass surveillance. Public trust is built on performance whereas the GCSB has been repeatedly caught acting illegally - it was caught out in respect to KimDotCom and more.
NZ journalist Bryce Edwards sums up the 'push to go to war' in this Herald piece 19 Feb 2015 - extract from front of article;
NZ Military and the Global War on Terror
Since then NZ has had the benefit of Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson's book Hit and Run. That has led to a formal government inquiry as to what the NZ military did in Afghanistan in the wake of Lt O'Donnel's killing in 2010. Also the Intelligence Inspector General is investigating GCSB and NZSIS contribution to the SAS raids.
Whistleblowers, Wikileaks and Julian Assange
Wikileaks was founded in 2007 and has revolutionised whistleblowing strengthening the practice by providing a secure platform that acts with integrity to ensure the fruits of the whistleblower's efforts are made public. July 14 2010 article by The Guardian's Stephen Moss extract;
All of which marks Julian Assange and Wikileaks as enemies of the US led Western Empire.
The Courage Foundation view Assange as an important figure in the field of whistleblowing, opening governments to transparency and truth in journalism.
The world needs truth-tellers. They need Courage.
Julian Assange is under effective house arrest in UK
On 5 February 2016, the UN's Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Assange had been subject to arbitrary detention since 7 Dec 2010; paragraphs 52, 75, 89, 97, 98:
New Zealand supports rule of law. New Zealand's people oppose militarism. New Zealand's Government supports the UN system.
How can New Zealand assist resolve this longstanding injustice?
Provide Julian Assange permanent political asylum in New Zealand
The petition asks "That the House of Representatives urge the Government to provide Julian Assange with permanent political asylum in New Zealand, including a guarantee of safe passage from the United Kingdom to New Zealand."
We feel that this is the least that can be done to assist Julian Assange - the just application of the law.
We the people need to hold power to account. Since 2007 Julian Assange and Wikileaks have been doing that including under the terrific pressure of Assange's arbitrary detention since 2010. There are promising signs that the worm is turning - we can ensure the turn is permanent - see Inter-American Court ruling on asylum.
Please consider signing the petition:
Where 'we the people' allow our whistleblowers, critical journalists and open government activists to be oppressed, jailed or worse - we are complicit with the killing of our own democracies as these courageous actors inform the democracy. Informed democracy is only as good as the information it receives.
There's many who want to help - more is better. Recently there were global vigils and celebrations for Julian's 6th year in the Ecuador Embassy 19 June and his 47th birthday 3 July. Much more is planned.
There's many who want to help - more is better. Recently there were global vigils and celebrations for Julian's 6th year in the Ecuador Embassy 19 June and his 47th birthday 3 July. Much more is planned.
As Edmund Burke eloquently stated;
Many thanks for your support
#FreeJulianAssangeNZ #Unity4J
