Wikileaks has opened a Pandora’s Box of leaked government secret communiqués that has seen politicians in affected countries scuttling into damage control mode. The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton calls the latest dumping of US embassy diplomatic cables “an attack on American foreign policy interests, an attack on the international community???. In contrast Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on non-government organizations to consider “nominating Assange as a Nobel Prize laureate???.

The question that should be uppermost in the public’s mind is can they trust their governments to give them a straight and honest answer? If not, then Wikileaks fills an indispensable role that ordinary journalists can never fill despite all their best efforts at giving us the news without fear or favour. The leaked documents tell us what the politicians really think behind the diplomatic niceties and duplicitous misleading of their own citizens.

Wikileaks is indispensable in a world where lying is considered patriotism and exposing the lie treachery. When governments paint it white when they think and act black, then we are all in serious danger of being misled and misinformed. The leaks may seem unethical but how else can ordinary citizens get the truth when their governments misrepresent the facts?

So far in 2010, forty-two journalists have been killed and most of them were covering political and corruption cases. Wikileaks in contrast is the repository of leaks from various whistleblowers that covers a wide range of topics in the public interest. Many journalists volunteer their services to the organization which does not solicit for leaks.

‘Without fear or favour’ is a cliché for many who bring us the news but Wikileaks has proven it is not afraid to tread on big toes with promises to release corrupt business dealings even in Russia. No wonder some feel Assange should be eliminated in a world of collapsed morals.

Wikileaks claims it is “dedicated to bringing important news and information to the public??? and since its inception has released secret information ranging from political assassination orders by political figures to fraud by big businesses affecting different countries. It has also released documents and video footage of war atrocities committed by American soldiers in the Iraq and Afghanistan ‘War on Terror’.

Readers can follow events on the Wikileaks website which is mirrored by many other websites as the US and its allies ostracise and try to destroy the embattled website. Visa and Amazon, that have refused to provide their services to Wikileaks, have themselves been attacked by hackers in support of Julian Assange. While not aiming to damage those websites, their tactic of creating ‘traffic jams’ is a cyber protest more than a declared war.

Worldwide reactions to the November release of secret US embassy diplomatic cables range from praise to the bizarre with former Canadian advisor Tom Flanagan on a television programme saying “I think Assange should be assassinated??? but the statement was later withdrawn. Support for Assange grows as more people rally to his cause and public protests for his release are mounted in various countries.

The Australian government while unilaterally condemning Assange’s (who is Australian) actions as ‘illegal’ and ‘grossly irresponsible’ with threats to cancel his passport themselves face a backlash from the Australian public sympathetic to the leaks.

The Australian media and television owners in a joint open letter has described Canberra’s response as “deeply troubling??? and will resist attempts to make the publication of the leaks illegal. Within the government’s Labour ranks itself there is mounting criticism.

It is understandable that the Americans and everyone who has been exposed are upset but they only have themselves to blame for not telling the public the truth and for trying to cover up wrongdoings.

The latest dumping of confidential and sensitive diplomatic cables between American embassies and their foreign counterparts contain insider information that may embarrass more than damage diplomatic relations. After all in the intriguing world of international diplomacy and politics, lying, spying, conspiracy, secret slander etc are all tools of the trade. When everyone is guilty – which diplomat has not made embarrassing candid comments of others – the pots can’t be calling the kettles black.

Even Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is upset with leaks that Arab states are concerned with his country, and ironically accusing the American government for the leaks. It is in the context of the confusion caused by politicians – when the public is left confused and in the dark – that the leaked documents provide the voice of truth. Facts don’t lie and no one in a good cause should fear the truth.

The leaks may initially strain relations between diplomats and cause knee-jerk responses and more spin from affected politicians like former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that the US leaked documents revealed was found wanting but they are insignificant compared to the more serious disclosures of government wrongdoings that may have wider ramifications.

The disclosure of documents relating to atrocities by American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and cover-ups may be more damaging to America’s reputation than what Singapore politicians think of their mediocre Malaysian counterparts.

So far only the tip of the latest iceberg of US embassy diplomatic cables has been exposed by Wikileaks as its leader and founder faces sexual misconduct allegations which have baffled Assange who claims the sex was consensual, according to news reports. His supporters claim conspiracy behind the false charges as Assange is held in the UK and tries to get bail pending an imminent transfer to Sweden to face the charges and possible deportation to the US to face whatever music his enemies plan.

But lawyers argue if he can be legally charged under American laws with the US government itself looking at introducing laws to curb future leaks. He has not broken any Australian law. It will be a blow for the freedom of truth in the world if Assange is eliminated.

Where matters of security are concerned during a time of war it is understandable that some information may be sensitive and its dissemination be curtailed. But in peace time no government ought to act in ways that breach human rights. Why should any government be afraid to say in public what it really thinks in private? And why should there be cover-ups of innocent people killed in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The US often plays the role of moral policeman and we all look to it as the champion of human rights but who will bring it to account when its politicians in power act without moral conscience? Fortunately the country is bigger than its administration and not all Americans condone reprehensible conduct whether at home or abroad.

TIME magazine says Wikileaks can “become an important journalistic tool as the Freedom of Information Act??? while the US Administration with its allies is studying ways to stem the activities of the non-profit new media organization. For this reason those who believe in a more transparent world hail Assange as their hero. And not every American politician thinks the leaks are bad for their nation despite the incumbent administration’s displeasure.

Since the first leaks in December 2006 Wikileaks has found support from many Americans including Veterans for Peace who believes Assange should be given a medal. Daniel Ellsberg, the American who released the Pentagon Papers in 1971, has been a consistent supporter, and Republican congressman of Texas, Ron Paul, has openly supported Wikileaks insisting that, “In a free society we are supposed to know the truth… in a society where truth becomes treason we are in big trouble.???

As the latest series of leaks are released in dribs and drabs, Malaysians will be curiously scanning the Wikileaks website or any of its many mirror sites established by supporters for references to their country. So far there have only been a handful of references, remarks made by Singapore’s leaders on Malaysia and Lee Kuan Yew’s comments on the ‘entrapment’ of Anwar Ibrahim and related comments by Australian diplomats on the sodomy incident.

This highlights the need for the public to exercise their intelligence and discernment in differentiating opinion from fact and the possibility that the opinions and perceptions of even the most respectable persons may be fallible. The leaks raise more questions than answers.

Malaysians are reminded of previous comments made by so called responsible politicians that ‘Anwar hit himself ‘ which the Malaysian court eventually proved was attributable to a crime of physical assault committed by the country’s then top cop against him. It is dangerous to jump to conclusions because a respectable person gave his opinion. People can be sincerely wrong.

Our perception can be tainted by prejudice or false presumptions or our incomplete knowledge. For this reason we need to sieve the wheat from the chaff and not simply accept the opinion of others as the gospel truth. The wise person will not be impressionable but will try to prove all things and not simply swallow every morsel of leaked information hook, line and sinker.

Until governments act with far greater integrity, transparency and accountability, Wikileaks is here to stay.

It is disappointing that the bastion of democracy the US should fear someone like Julian Assange and Wikileaks and try to silence it. Without the truth there is no democracy and justice, and who should know better?

No one or nation that has acted blamelessly should fear any whistleblower least of all one who is merely protecting the people from the criminals. The leaks are revealing of abuse of human rights, big business corruption, environmental degradation, and so on –the kind of stuff the global community needs to know.