We observe the plight of Edward Snowden for revealing the US mass surveillance programme called PRISM which was built to be able to intercept each and every communication, whoever conducts it, on the internet. They also hacked into the servers of certain mobile phone operators. The internet giants based in the US gave in to the programme.
The world is watching with terror how the US is chasing the whistleblower (the US claims that he’s neither a whistleblower nor a human rights activist) to be captured while Snowden claims that he is a patriot he is not doing anything to harm his country but the US government is threatening the countries with consequences that helped his passage or offering asylum on humanitarian grounds.
His fate is uncertain being holed up in Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow since June 23 though he has declared to apply and accept asylum status in Russia since he is not able to travel to South America from where a few countries i.e. Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and Nicaragua offered him asylum status.
On the last Friday, 12 July, he had a meeting with the representations from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Kremlin and requested them to help him travel to South America while he wanted to take asylum in Russian until his ability to travel further.
It is yet to be seen whether he’d ever be able to travel to South America and whether these few countries would be able to protect him from the possible harsh treatment of his own government.
The issue has become a source of serious diplomatic row between the US camp and its rivals.
The US is always vocal on the human rights, rule of law, democratic values and other humanitarian issues. But in the instance of revealing its surveillance programme targeting everyone on this planet including its own citizenry must be too embarrassing to accept.
The actions of its camp has gone so far to ground the Presidential aeroplane of Bolivia en route to Caracas from Moscow having a suspicion that Snowden would be on board. This kind of incident never happened in history. The US is asking everyone related to hand Snowden over to them to take legal actions for the crime of espionage, theft of government property and leaking classified documents as they say.
People around the world are watching the event with utmost interest having sympathy mostly, as I perceive, for the man who has taken so much risk on his life only as a step to create a just society as the people feel.
Now the question is, should we stand for the actions of Snowden and other fellows like Julian Assange and Bradley Manning? Are the actions taken by them help protecting human rights and dignity? The questions are not that hard to answer.
If that is the case, why other governments are not extending their hands to protect this gentleman? Is it because they are afraid of the superpower? Or they are also corrupt!
It seems that a War on Information has begun. Do you think that the people’s rights will prevail or the hegemonic governments would remain at the helm of things?
The victims of the surveillance programmes are the common people mostly while the governments around the world are playing politics to win over their competing parties. Who are supposed to look after the interests and protect the rights and privacy of the people? Who would be brave enough like Snowden, Assange or Manning? Is it possible for a small group of unarmed activists to win over the battle with the hegemonic mammoths?
At the moment the information superhighway and the internet is controlled mostly by the US. Is it possible for other countries or its rivals to reverse the tide? It is a long way to go. Even if its rivals succeed would they be able to uphold people’s rights and privacy?
Answers to these questions are important to ponder for the interest of the world populace.
The writer is a development consultant, writer and editor. He may be reached at masudkn@gmail.com
