WHY THE CRICKET TOUR TO SRI LANKA SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE?

(Tamils in Sri Lanka appealing to the United Nations) CRICKET SOUTH AFRICA IGNORED THE VIOLATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE IN SRI LANKA

(A child victim of Sri Lankan human rights violations) By Subry Govender As a veteran struggle activist and journalist I was very interested in an editorial published in the Mercury on Wednesday, July 30 2014 about the success of the national cricket team, Proteas, during its just-completed tour to Sri Lanka. The second editorial: "Best Possible Start", praised the captain, Hashim Amla, and the team as a whole for their performances in Sri Lanka. In its first paragraph, the editorial read: "While the Proteas' victory over Sri Lanka may lack the lustre of the ones against England, Australia or India, the series wins - in both the one-day internationals and Test matches - in Sri Lanka this year must rank among the most significant achievements of the post-colonial era." I have no problem with the "praise" that is being heaped and showered on the Proteas by the local media and others. However, I do have a question or two about the complete lack of concern shown for the socio-political environment in a country where the Proteas went on tour to. During the days of apartheid, when we fought against apartheid in sport and society in general, the establishment sport and their officials during that era vehemently protested that "politics and sport" should not be mixed. Nevertheless, the anti-apartheid activists stepped up their campaigns despite the bannings, detentions, and harrassment and succeeded in completely isolating apartheid South Africa. It was because of these campaigns against apartheid and other areas of life that we were able to bring about a non-racial and democratic South Africa in 1994. It was because of these efforts that our sporting people today enjoy international sport without any restrictions. This is what we have fought for and this is what we are privileged to enjoy today.

(Sri Lankan war crimes) But the question that bothers me and many other former activists is whether Cricket South Africa(CSA) should have embarked on this tour to Sri Lanka at a time when the Tamils of that country are suffering human rights violations every day of their lives. Following the genocide of between 70 000 and 100 000 Tamils by Sri Lankan soldiers and government in 2009, Tamils continue to face murders, detentions, rapes, and colonisation and Sinhalisation of their traditional homelands in the North and East of the country. The United Nations and the international community view the genocide in such a serious light that the UN Human Rights Commission recently appointed a high-profile three-person commission to investigate the "war crimes" against the Sri Lankan Government and leaders. In fact, it has just been reported that the Transitional Government of Tamil Eelam has named 12 top Government and miliary leaders as being behind the "war cirmes" committed against the Tamils. The UN Human Rights Commission is currently under the chairpersonship of South Africa's human rights campaigner, Dr Navi Pillay. Despite the appointment of the commission, the Sri Lankan Government is refusing to co-operate and allow the commission members to carry out their work without any hindrance and obstructions. The 2009 genocide against the Tamils was just the latest of a series of massacres and human rights violations against Tamils over the past 60 years. In July 1983, more than 5 000 Tamils were massacred, raped, and forced to flee their homes in and around the the capital, Colombo, and surrounding areas.

(The torture of Tamils by Sri Lankan soldiers) The continuing killings, detentions, forced removals, and denial of basic human rights has forced more than two million Tamils to flee the country and settle in countries such as the United States, Canada, England, other parts of Europe, Australia, New Zealand and even South Africa. The lack of human rights has also created a refugee situation with Tamils being targeted by the Sri Lankan security forces continuing to seek asylum in countries such as India and Australia. According to human rights organisations, the closest safe haven to Sri Lanka is the south-Indian state of Tamil Nadu where about 67,000 Sri Lankan Tamil registered refugees are housed in 110 refugee camps spread across 25 districts, with as many as 17,000 children born to Tamil refugees living in Tamil Nadu considered stateless. It is estimated that another 35,000 Tamil refugees are living in Tamil Nadu illegally in areas outside the camps. Tamils in the North and East of Sri Lanka, the more than two million Tamil people in the diaspora, Tamils in the Tamil Nadu state of India, Tamil people living in countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, Mauritius and South Africa are campaigning for Tamils to be freed from this oppression and for Tamils to decide their own future. Our Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa, even recently visited Sri Lanka for two days to investigate the situation and to help in a resolution of the human rights problems of the Tamil people. The ruling ANC is taking a keen interest in this instance because during the war against apartheid, the Tamils of Sri Lanka assisted the ANC in its struggles.

For many of us, therefore, the victory of Hashim Amla and our national cricket team in Sri Lanka means very little because the cricketers went on this tour to a country that has been accused of continuing to violate the rights of the Tamil people. In fact this was highlighted during the tour when Tamil Muslims were attacked and driven out of their homes and businesses by the majority Sinhalese and agents of the state. Cricket SA and its officials in fact did not have the decency of condemning the violations of the human rights of the Tamils before embarking on the tour. They are trying to project the same views that apartheid sports administrators tried by claiming that "sports and politics" should not mix.

How ironic? Cricket SA is enjoying international sport today and the millions of rand that go with it because of the struggles of anti-apartheid sports organisations such as SACOS, Hassan Howa and the South African Cricket Cricket Board of Control, SANROC and other struggle organisations and leaders. The late Mr Howa emphasised the policy that there should be "no normal sport in an abnormal society". Cricket SA, therefore, must answer the question: How could it have undertaken a tour to a country like Sri Lanka where the society is abnormal and where the human rights of the Tamil people are being violated on a daily basis? The tour gave justification to the oppression that is taking place against the Tamils. I am a patriotic South African but I will not support a sporting tour to a country where the human rights of the people are being violated on a daily basis. Cricket SA has a lot to answer! - ends - Subry Govender