Learn from Wikileaks, Right2Know tells SA government

www.right2know.org.za

"As the SA Parliament considers passing the draconian Protection of Information Bill (POIB), they should stop and consider the lesson of Wikileaks. Technological developments with a democratic impulse have forever undermined the ability of states to keep secrets as they have in the past," Weinberg said.

Since online whistleblower Wikileaks began releasing high-profile secrets about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and lately classified US diplomatic cables, some experts have hinted that there is a possibility that some sophisticated computer wizards somewhere around the world, inspired by Wikileaks, might attempt to create their own version to expose their governments' secrets.

Drawing inspiration from

And this week, the Right2Know campaign, which admits to be drawing inspiration from the courage and dedication of the team that built and maintains the Wikileaks service, warned: "As long as there are people like them committed to exposing the wrongdoing of governments and businesses, no securocratic laws can stop the free flow of information."

However, it remains unclear whether this tough-talking statement by Right2Know campaign, which is involved in an ongoing battle with the SA government over the constitutionality of the POIB, aka the Secrecy Bill, will attempt to embark on such a daring adventure if it fails to stop the government enacting what critics call a 'dangerous' piece of legislation.

Critics warn that SA, which self-proclaims as the champion of democracy in Africa and is involved in many peace initiatives, is on the verge of becoming a secretive state, where ordinary people will not know what is going on in the corridors of their government.

Weinberg said: "The keeping of secrets is a precarious business requiring increasing human and financial resources. The POIB will have significant financial implications for all spheres of government that the current bill does not cater for.

"Another Wikileaks lesson"

"As the Right2Know campaign fights the battle against the Secrecy Bill that would shroud our society in darkness, we take note of another Wikileaks lesson: Governments which mire themselves in secrecy can quickly become enemies to their own people.

"There can be no doubt that publishing much of the information on Wikileaks is in the public interest - even if it is not in the interests of governments. It is for this reason that we continue to demand that the scope and definitions of SA's Secrecy Bill must be narrow in their remit.

"The US government and their allies have attempted to frame these leaks as a criminal act. The Right2Know Campaign firmly believes that an institution like Wikileaks is an inevitable response to a system that is overcome by dark and embarrassing secrets.

"If governments wish to condemn Wikileaks to oblivion, they can best do so by making fewer secrets, less often. In short, they can adopt the sort of open and transparent governance demanded by the SA constitution."

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is currently languishing in a British jail, pending extradition to Sweden on charges of 'sexual abuse' and 'rape'. But, his supporters insist it is nothing but a political conspiracy orchestrated by Washington.

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