The Bradley Manning verdict was announced last week. Private Manning was acquited of the most serious charge, namely aiding an enemy but he was convicted of disobeying lawful orders and releasing classified information.
The information related to wrongdoings allegedly committed by the US government in Iraq, with the most damning allegation being they harmed and killed unarmed Iraqi civillians.
The verdict has been delivered at a time where whistle blower, Edward Snowden has just been granted asylum for one year by Russia. Mr Snowden leaked details of the mass surveillance project carried out by the US Government, and has now been charged with espionage and theft of government property.
Chaninat and Leeds specializes in international and domestic criminal defense cases in Thailand
Both Private Manning and Mr Snowden insist they were in no way trying to harm the US, but believed the US public had a right to know this information.
It is interesting to see how the Espionage Act , which was designed to protect the US from foreign spies, is now being used against US citizens, who are trying to inform the US public about acts the US government are trying to keep secret.
Under Thailand law, whistleblowers are often seen as being part of a conspiracy and more often than not, claims about corruption will initially be met with scepticism and then be disreagrded as politically motivated.
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