It is unfortunate that a reputed institution like the Amnesty International, has allowed itself to be used in the in political propaganda under the guise of human right activism. This is an unsavoury practice employed by some NGOs with hidden agendas. Such NGOs conceal their political aims under human rights or development aid banners.
The conflict in Sri Lanka is complex. Its cultural, political, social and economic facets are understood only by those who study it in depth. Its genesis and development is interwoven into Sri Lanka 's ancient as well as the recent colonial history. Being an armed conflict, human right violations invariably occur on both sides.
On the side of the insurgents, the LTTE (Tamil Tigers), human rights violations are premeditated and intentional. Thus, the LTTE had the ignominious record for carrying out by far the most number of suicide bombings in the world, the carnage of which resulted in the killing and maiming of scores of civilians. Apart from the innocent victims that get killed in suicide bombings, which of course can be categorised as crimes against humanity, the more pathetic situation is that of the suicide bomber.
Then there is the issue of abduction of children and indoctrinating them to become killers, the so-called "child soldiers". How has Amnesty International reacted to this vicious stealing of childhood and transforming the childish innocence to become mindless monsters? Just a lukewarm reaction, a slight rap on the knuckles.
It is pertinent to ask, then, what actions has Amnesty International taken to push the LTTE to "play by the rules".
