Comments on: It’s just not cricket that Sri Lanka keeps playing

By: Mark out West

Mark out West — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:15:14 +0000

Obviously most of the people that have written a response are thoughtful people who took the time to read a story about human rights, but not the UN report about potential genocide.

Please watch the 4 corners report which has vision of the Sri Lankan army shelling the makeshift hospitals once their co-ordinates had been supplied. The list is extensive and although there are significant issues with the Tamils the type of retaliation is never justified.

The Australian government response is typical of the Julia/Swan right wing government. This cosy relationship is necessary to STOP THE BOATS.

It is typical of what it means to STOP THE BOATS that people are left in appalling situations where they are under daily threat, but at least we are not responsible for that are we?

By: Andrew Freeman

Andrew Freeman — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:25:12 +0000

I’m surprised at the a-historical and one sided analysis of the conflict in Sri Lanka suddenly favoured in Australian media, presumably because one prominent journalist has taken a side, in the latter years of this difficult conflict.

there is no excuse for government sponsored violence. But there’s no excuse for ideological bias or historical omission either.

England’s imperial habit of favouring workers from another country - in this case India - and their discriminatory treatment of races within a country - divide to rule - helped sow the seeds of racial conflict in Sri Lanka between Tamils and Sinhalese people - as this European imperial habit did and still does in many countries around the world.

It is blithe and somewhat patronising for members of the british commonwealth - in this case, Australian media - not to acknowledge this.

BLind support of tamil claims against Sinhalese claims would be like English speaking media suddenly deciding to boycott Catholic Ireland in support of the protestant north.

This is not to support recent violences by the Sri Lankan government. But the conflict began decades ago. . It’s worth noting that Tamil resistance movement and eventually its guerilla tactics were in part fostered by writers among a diaspora of Tamil intellectuals who moved to the UK in the 1960s.

Is history repeating in Australia?

By: pritu

pritu — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 22:21:04 +0000

Thank you for brnging attention to this issue, which the rest of the media seems bent on pretending doesn’t exist. The present government of Sri Lanka’s record on the democratic process is, if comparisons are needed, far worse than the Burmese government before its current (apparent) softening. And that’s not even before their war crimes are considered. And I’ll bet that no one can name the current head of their government, so well are their crimes ignored.

By: prembrowne

prembrowne — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:01:29 +0000

If every country that has had a government responsible for human rights violations was boycotted in the sporting sphere, there may be few international sporting contests remaining. It seems that in this case, the Sri Lankan government of the day, AND the Tamil Tigers themselves, were both deemed responsible for the tragedy in 2009. But not the people of Sri Lanka themselves, who have as much right as we do in Australia to watch their teams represent them in International sporting events. Perhaps the Sri Lankan President should deliver a Rudd-style apology to the victims’ families, and everything will be forgiven.
If war crimes were committed during the civil war we would hope that those responsible will be held to account. We would hope that in this post-war period the country as a whole will consolidate its democratic ideals. But perhaps it’s a little early to be calling for a sporting boycott.

By: Gavin Moodie

Gavin Moodie — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:07:26 +0000

Yes, it may be time to call for restrictions on Sri Lanka’s participation in international events. The next cricket world cup will be hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in 2015.