but I'm not sure to what extent it would
be practical for you to be involved in such things while serving in 
yourcurrent role in your particularly country.

Yes, you are right that my position is somewhat useless right now for any practical support and I am pretty busy just staying afloat personally. Publish-or-perish science is a bitch if you dare to do critical work and I have not yet sufficiently constructed alternatives for me in case I have to finally leave academia, which seems 50/50 in about one year from now. Being in China does not help at all.

here is a press release we've just begun sending out

Thanks for the release. Wiki leaks has my support 100%! As a scientist who identifies with the scientific ideals rather than just having a technical job, I have a deep appreciation for transparency of data and an equally strong disgust for whoever wants to misinform and silence whistle blowers. Julian Assange would be my submission for nobel peace price.

Sascha