How Did The Watch(Dogs) of Amnesty International Gain Access To The World Cup And Why Did The ICC Tolerate Them?

Insight BY Sunil Kumara for LankaWeb

April 6th 2007

Apathetic and disgusting are the terms that come to mind when one considers the recent demonstrations at the Cricket World Cup by Amnesty International the so called human rights watchdog which some seem to think are better off being stripped of the watch part of the watchdog status and simply going with dog as their dog eat dog type mentality has surfaced in their attempt to stir up emotions while infiltrating this prestigious event with their unwelcome presence and demonstrations which are totally unrelated to the sporting event of the highest level relative to the game of cricket !

The International Cricket Conference the organizers of this event needs to be asked, with all due respect to their policies as to how this organization with their reputation as rabble rousers at the best of times was granted Carte Blanche to the plum of the cricketing world for 2007 and permitted to continue their smear campaign against the Sri Lankan Government which it undoubtely was, using the venue as a platform to spread their propaganda and why was it not quelled and the demonstrators thrown out before they were able to spread their propaganda and create an uncomfortable atmosphere at the venue which had nothing to do with cricket and everything to do with the organizations sympathies with the terrorist group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam according to reliable sources.The question also needs to be asked , given the reality that the LTTE are a banned organization in most parts of the world how did the World Cup become an exception to this banning and isn't this simply not cricket?

In the simplest of terms what right did the controversial and often hotly disputed Amnesty International have towards, using their modus operandi as ‘play by the rules’, stamped on dummy cricket balls to embarrass the Sri Lankan cricket team, participating in the World Cup in the Caribbean where recent revealations have indicated a growing relationship between the Amnesty International hierarchy and the LTTE. It takes no rocket science to infer that this indeed was part of a wider conspiracy against the Sri Lankan Government. The sources attributable to this inference has also accused the London-based human rights watchdog of supporting LTTE efforts to internationally embarrass Sri Lanka.The LTTE are presently in great peril of being eliminated as a terrorist entity in Sri Lanka and of late have been resorting to many desperate measures to discredit the Sri Lankan Government and have a stop at nothing mentality towards their cause.If Amnesty International does indeed support a criminal and terrorist organization on this basis they deserve to be disbanded!

Although this move to smear Sri Lanka by the LTTE in conjunction with Amnesty International as it is purported to be comes as no surprise as they constantly attempt to influence many World Organizations as well as Nations, The European Union and Germany to name two examples in a larger list. Given all the related facts it has to be concluded that the Amnesty International action was a continuation of an effort to isolate Sri Lanka and strengthen the LTTE’s case against the State which more often than not is a wasted effort and in this instance intolerable given their choice of venue.

This move in all probabilities seems to coincide with the recently proposed Human Rights Council action against Sri Lanka which is an ongoing and debatable issue where the human rights violations are perpetrated by the Tamil Tigers and are consequent to their evil nature and mendacity but duplicitously end up pointing their fingers at the Government of Sri Lanka and intended to portray the GOSL wrongdoers when most of the world are aware of who is really responsible! It may also be noted that although the HRC deferred its resolution in the case against Sri Lanka’s human rights violation accusations at the conclusion of its recent sessions in Geneva, the Government is under heavy pressure to suspend the ‘offensive’ military action against the LTTE which is in all probabilities what this commotion instigated by Amnesty International at the World Cup is all about.A show of faith to a newly formed alliance perhaps.

The possible links between AI and the LTTE can be broadbased on the information that the inclusion of a former Amnesty International heavyweight in an LTTE delegation in October 2005 has exposed the unholy alliance.A certain Professor Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois and a leading practitioner and advocate of international law had represented the LTTE at a meeting with the EU in Geneva. Boyle had served on the Board of Directors of AI (1988-1992). The Geneva meeting took place against the backdrop of an EU decision not to invite LTTE delegations. But this did not bar V. Rudrakumaran, a New York based attorney-at-law and a member of the LTTE negotiating team at the Norwegian-managed peace talks during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure as the Premier from being part of the proceedings.

Since its establishment in the early 1960s Amnesty International has occasionally been criticized.