The three cricket umpires should join the fight against terrorism

By Malin Abeyatunge

(March 11, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) As usual, the steam as faded down of the Lahore attack but the whole world is eagerly awaiting to know the perpetrators and bring them to justice for the brutal attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, the independent foreign umpires and killing 8 others including 6 policemen who provided a security convoy to them.

The Australian umpires Simon Taufel, Steve Davis and England umpire Chris Broad criticized the Pakistani Government for the lack of security. Chris Broad was so critical of Pakistani Security and said that they were “sitting ducks” to the bullets came from the terrorists. We trust that just as much as the Sri Lankan team including the Australian coach Trevor Bayliss, the three umpires would be able to deal with the traumas of the aftermath of the terrorist attack courageously.

However, one think is clear that “terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere” and what group they belong to. There are no good terrorists or bad terrorists as some countries try to categorize them for their self political gains. There should be no complacency for any kind of terrorism in the war against global terrorism. The three umpires who came from the west have experienced a terrorist attack may be for the first time which they will never forget in their life time. There are hundreds of innocents killed daily by terrorist outfits spread around the world mainly in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, and India etc. On Tuesday (10/3/2009) LTTE suicide bomber exploded himself at a Muslim Religious ceremony (celebrating Holy Prophets Birth day in mosque) in Akuressa killing 15 and injuring 46 others including a few Government ministers. Some of these terrorist outfits including LTTE are being nurtured and protected by countries like US, UK, Australia and India and Pakistan.

It is now speculated that LTTE may have had a hand in the Lahore attack indirectly proving that cross border terrorism has come to stay.

We have a BIG ASK from these three umpires who experienced this brutal attack and fortunately escaped without any injury. Please educate their respective governments in Australia and UK the dangers of terrorism and convince them that there are no good terrorists. I wonder whether Simon Taufel and Steve Davis are aware (probably they may not be interested in politics) that the successive Australian governments and the present Government is yet to ban LTTE the most deadliest terrorist outfit in the world as quoted by FBI report in 2008. Australia has been mollycoddling LTTE terrorist activists in Australia and the only western country that LTTE is not a proscribed terrorist outfit yet. The two Australian umpires with one voice should tell the Australian Government that there are no good terrorists and request them to ban LTTE in Australia for the sake of innocent people dying in Sri Lanka at the hands of LTTE terrorists. Who knows, next time it can be an Australian sporting team that will be subjected to terrorist attack in any part of the world.

And to Chris Broad (if he is unaware), suffice to mention here that despite LTTE being banned in UK as a terrorist organization merely name sake only, UK is still a haven for LTTE activities and its propaganda. The umpire Chris Broad should therefore request the UK government not to be complacent with LTTE activities in UK (which they do) and also tell the Labour MPS like Keith Vaz and his gang of MP supporters who appease LTTE despite being banned in UK to stop their allegiance to LTTE activists in UK for their political survival.

At least, the three umpires and Australian coach can do something positive to educate the politicians of the respective countries of the brutality of terrorism which they have had first hand experience as victims, and tell their respective governments to take appropriate legal steps (a) ban LTTE-(the deadliest terrorist outfit not yet banned in Australia) (b) stop politicians in Australia and UK using LTTE supporters and sympathizers and activist for their political survival like Alan Griffith and John Murphy in Australia and Kith Vaz and his gang of MPS in UK.

British & Australian papers-please copy -Sri Lanka Guardian