AI’s blinkered perceptions
What bearing has Sri Lankan cricket to
its internal politics? None, would be the answer of most right thinking
persons on account of the completely disparate nature of the spheres
concerned.
This transparently simple point, however, seems to be lost on Amnesty
International (AI), which by some skewed logic is confusing this
country’s politics with its cricket and causing grave damage to our
national interest, besides marring the morale of our cricketers in the
Caribbean, who are on a winning streak.
However, even with regard to the political issues involved, AI is
recklessly way off the mark and completely at sea. AI is glibly making
the questionable assumption that the State could be implicated in some
of the crimes which are taking place in the country today.
Two such violations of the law are abductions and disappearances. We
would be labouring the obvious if we maintain that the State has brought
into being the necessary law and order mechanisms and arrangements to
probe these crimes and to bring the offenders to book.
An international panel of eminent persons is, in fact, observing the
operations of a State-appointed commission probing some of these human
rights violations. Would a state guilty of such crimes, take these
initiatives?
Besides, AI is as usual not taking to task the LTTE which is
continuing with its murderous violence.
Even as AI was indulging in its antics in the West Indies, trying to
bring shame and humiliation to the Lankan cricketers, the Tigers were
unleashing horrific violence and mayhem in Eastern Sri Lanka in
confirmation of the well-founded view that it is the LTTE which is
keeping Sri Lanka in a state of strife.
Why is not AI speaking -up for the hundreds of civilians who are thus
losing their lives in the LTTE’s blood lust? Why is AI silent about the
subjugation of the children of the North-East to the cruel dictates of
the LTTE? In short, what has AI got to say about the numerous LTTE child
soldiers?
Such glaring examples of skewed standards would not help in the
fostering and consolidation of human rights. If AI is sincere in what it
claims it is doing it would track Sri Lanka’s problems to their source-
the LTTE.
It is the LTTE which needs to be exposed and called to account by
organisations such as AI, if Sri Lanka is to progress along the road to
a political settlement. However by turning a blind eye on the LTTE, AI
is only promoting more and more strife in Sri Lanka.
Getting back to cricket, it should be plain to AI that the Lankan
cricketers should not be subjected to any sort of harassment or
humiliation. By attempting to cause them embarrassment and pain of mind,
it is only tarnishing Sri Lanka’s image in the eyes of the world.
This is a most ignoble course to be taken by AI. If it has any
differences with the State, it is best advised to take up such issues
with the State, rather than besmirch the good name of Sri Lanka in an
arena which has nothing to do with politics.
AI also could not be unaware of the effects such mud-smearing
campaigns could have on the morale of our cricketers. We wonder whether
the AI campaign to show Sri Lanka in a bad light is a devious means of
preventing Sri Lanka from winning honour and prestige in the world of
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