SYDNEY, Nov 28, 2011 (AFP) - WikiLeaks has been recognised in Australia for its "outstanding contribution to journalism", with founder Julian Assange lashing out at "cowardly" Prime Minister Julia Gillard in an acceptance speech.
The anti-secrecy website was lauded at the annual Walkley Awards, where winners are chosen by an independent panel of journalists and photographers, for its courageous reporting of secret US cables.
"WikiLeaks applied new technology to penetrate the inner workings of government to reveal an avalanche of inconvenient truths in a global publishing coup," the Walkley trustees said in bestowing the award Sunday evening.
"Its revelations, from the way the war on terror was being waged, to diplomatic bastardry, high-level horse-trading and the interference in the domestic affairs of nations, have had an undeniable impact."
The whistleblowing website has published thousands of cables in which US diplomats give their often candid views on world leaders, to Washington's acute embarrassment.
Assange, an Australian citizen who has previously blasted Canberra for not doing enough to protect him in the fallout from the leaks, was scathing of the government in accepting the accolade in a pre-recorded video message.
"The Gillard government has shown its true colours in relation to how it's handled US pressure on WikiLeaks," he said in footage shown on SBS television which broadcast the awards.
"Australian journalists are courageous, the Australian population is supportive, but Julia Gillard is a cowardly Australian prime minister.
"As Australians we shall not despair, as long as we can speak out, as long as we can publish, and as long as the Internet remains free, we will continue to fight back, armed with the truth," he added.
Assange has spent much of the last year under virtual house arrest in Britain since he was detained in December 2010 over claims of rape and sexual assault made by two women in Sweden.
He has strongly denied the allegations against him, claiming they are politically motivated and linked to the activities of WikiLeaks.
The former computer hacker is currently appealing a decision against his extradition to Sweden to face the charges.
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폭로전문 위키리크스, 호주 언론상 수상
폭로전문 사이트 위키리크스가 27일(현지시간) 호주에서 저널리즘 상을 받았다.
호주 저널리스트와 사진 기자들로 구성된 패널은 "위키리크스가 새로운 기법으로 정부 내부로 들어가 엄청나게 많은 불편한 진실들을 폭로했으며 이를 통해 부정할 수 없는 영향력을 발휘했다"며 연례 월클리 상을 수여했다.
위키리크스의 설립자 줄리언 어산지는 녹화영상으로 보낸 수상연설에서 호주 국적을 갖고 있는 자신이 폭로 때문에 곤경해 처해있는 데도 줄리아 길라드 총리가 보호조치를 게을리하고 외면했다면서 맹렬하게 비난했다.
어산지는 "길라드 정부가 위키리키스 폭로와 관련해 미국으로부터 압력을 받고 처신하는 것을 보면 길라드 정부의 정체가 무엇인가를 알 수 있다"고 목소리를 높이고 "언론인들은 용감하게 행동했으며 국민도 언론을 지지했으나 길라드 정부는 비겁한 태도를 보였다"고 주장했다.
어산지는 "자유롭게 말할 수 있고, 자유롭게 출판할 수 있고, 인터넷이 제약을 받지 않는 한 호주 사람들이 실망해서는 안된다. 우리는 진리로 무장하고 계속투쟁할 것"이라고 말했다.
