Amnesty International desecrates Cricket world cup?

Tina Edward – Gunawardhana

The latest smear campaign against Sri Lanka orchestrated by Amnesty International is a diabolical disgrace. If such a champion for Human Rights like Amnesty International is so interested in telling the world to encourage Sri Lankans, LTTE and other armed groups to “play by the rule” should they not have also included Zimbabwe as well?

One only has to look at recent pictures emanating from Zimbabwe of opposition leader Morgan Tsvengarai, battered and bruised by Despot Robert Mugabes’s goons which bears ample testimony to the grim human rights situation in that country. The tyrannical rule of Robert Mugabe who has installed himself as President of that country for well over twenty years by reportedly rigging elections, killing off voices of dissent, and roughing up members of the opposition and ethnic cleansing of the whites are surely enough evidence for Amnesty International to know that Zimbabwe’s human rights records is despicable. So then why the silence on Zimbabwe?

A few years ago South African Tamil LTTE supporters brazenly flew a light aircraft over a cricket ground in Northampton while the Sri Lankan team were playing carrying a banner which purported to support the LTTE, at that time many felt that action was in bad taste as Cricket had only served to unite all people in Sri Lanka. However this latest gimmick by Amnesty International is far worse than the stunt pulled in Northampton many years ago.

Amnesty International should be fully aware that Sports is a great leveller transcending through all divisions and brings together people of all communities irrespective of race, colour, caste, creed, religion and ethnicity.

Our own Sri Lankan cricket team has members belonging to all Nationalities who through their team work pull of fantastic victories as we saw yesterday against the West Indies. Therefore for them to use the World Cup to whip up sentiments against Sri Lanka is simply not on. If at all Amnesty International should have used the unique mix of ethnic groups within the team to highlight the harmony, unity, and humanity within the team as an example to People in all of Sri Lanka on how people should pull together and work towards a common goal.

Sri Lankan as one nation,one people should make their displeasure of this latest campaign known to amnesty international by emailing them at press@amnesty.org