Play By the Rules Campaign

Asoka Weerasinghe Ontario, Canada

Easter Monday

To Amnesty International
London, England

(Atten: Ms. Irene Khan, Ms. Purna Sen & Ms. Yolane Foster)

Ladies:

As you may have now gathered AI’s targeting the Sri Lankan cricket team at the Cricket World Cup has drawn out the airs of every cricket loving person in the Asian continent, more so of the cricket loving public in Sri Lanka. One headline this morning read – *Amnesty International protest at Cricket World Cup provokes fury*. I doubt when your smart-alec strategist proposed this move that you all would have ever expected this backlash.

What is bothersome is how AI believes that winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 has given AI the right to harass cricketers unnecessarily by taking their rights away to torpedo their personal performances, as well as taking away the rights of every school going child in Sri Lanka by destroying the image of their heroes by insinuating that they do not play cricket by the rules. That is a definite No, No in my human rights lexicon.

I suggest it is time that all of you and your AI colleagues around the world come down from your high horses and accept some honesty with humility on the work you are engaged in doing. To that end, I suggest that you all sing in unison every morning before you start your day’s work these lyrics to the tune of the Caribbean */The Banana Boat Song/*/,/ as would all Sri Lankans sing their National Anthem prior to commencing their daily work.

*/“Day-o, day-o, AI has gone bananas and they better go home Day-o, day-o, AI has gone bananas and they wanna go home/*

*/ Loading soft balls in banana boats all night long (all night long) Day de light and they should have stayed home Hey World Cup cricketers sing this song (sing this song) AI has gone bananas and they better go home Day-o, day-o de light AI should be sent home Day-o, day-o, AI has gone bananas and they better get home/*

*/ Sanath is hitting our soft-balls for a six It hurts our butts when we get hit/*

*/ Sleeping in the sun and AI works like goons (work like goons) Day de light and AI better go home Hey Sri Lankan cricketers sing this song (sing this song) Day de light AI is violating our rights Day-o, day-o, AI has gone bananas and they better go home Day-o, day-o, AI has gone bananas and they wanna go home/*

*/ Day-o, day-o (Sanath is hitting our soft-balls for a six) Day de light it hurts when our butts get hit Day de light we wanna go home.”/*

Believe me, try this morning anthem, as it might help to ground you all garnished with rectitude and wean your chilling arrogance.

Asoka Weerasinghe
Ontario, Canada