If we consider human rights Australia is not pure. Aborigines have been exterminated. Australia has been condemned by the UN for its actions in supporting the PNG blockade of Bougainville and the actions of the PNG government toward the Bougainvilleans. Australia has also trained the Kopassus division of the Indonesian army which has been responsible for human rights violations.

If it is legitimate to protest against Sri Lankan cricket because of the violation of human rights then it is also legitimate to protest against Australian cricket because of the violation of human rights.

One may maintain that human rights violations are worse in Sri Lanka than Australia. I think that is true, but where does one draw the line?

I think the demonstration against the Sri Lankan team was justified, but I don't think the protestors should feel self-righteous about it or put down those who didn't care for their protest.

david wrote" then it is also legitimate to protest against Australian cricket because of the violation of human rights..."

true...but srilanka damns us all...it was the latest genocide of group of people by another group purely on tribal lines...under the eyes of the UN, EU, world government and world media...worse with their support and active help...

Ceylon tamils...whom existed in northern Ceylon for thousands of years...as subsistence fisherman...an area mostly sand and marsh...as a unique and irreplaceable subsect of tamil hindus...long before the Sinhalese migration from eastern india escaping persecution...
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lkawgw/slm-kings.htm

the singala tribal superiority mentality was know long ago to the tamils...and their singala only srilanka...and tamils tried to survive, for a while with military defence...until the world governments labelled them terrorists...and focused on the elimination of the armed section...which when removed the singalese government took care of the population...on an north eastern beach strip where the northern tamils had run to seek shelter...and hoped for india to send rescue boats...which never appeared...and under the world view via satellite...the beaches and water ran red with the killing of the unarmed that followed...

a ceylon tamil...is now extinct...just survivors exist...I originate as a one and seen once great and proud thousands of year culture giving balance and harmony disappear...replaced by 'now consume and exist well each day' one...

so real terrorists...playing 'image' game...using 'democracy' to legitimize themselves...terrorized then executed the weaker...not so bad...yet...using world governments to support and assist them...now thats terrible...this is what damns us all...all those who acted,supported,and those watching...which makes for the world population...

see the problem?...and worse this pattern has repeated over history...including Australian Aboriginals...and the infamous Captain Cook declaration to the Crown...Australia's terra nullis...to allow colonization...thus removing aboriginals became a cold calculated requirement...so solution is first look at where the power flows from and how it distributes itself...and especially how it avoids consequences to itself for its acts...Europe...Im looking at you...and USA stop being its braindead military tool...and UN...well its one way to avoid consequences...have everybody there...

sam

I found this both a disturbing and thoughtful article. Like Stuart Rees, I'm disturbed by the uncaring jingoism which seems to be such a strong part of much contemporary Australian culture. Jim Page, Queensland.

Dear Sam,

One part of the problem in Sri Lanka is the lack of separation of religion and state. Buddhism is thought of by many people as a religion of peace. It sometimes is as intolerant and controlling as any other religion. The Japanese officer corps in WW2, a violent group of men, were almost all Buddhists. The Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka have opposed equal rights for the Hindu Tamils.

This is not a problem unique to Sri Lanka. In northern Ireland Catholics are at odds with Protestants. In Israel/Palestine Jews and Muslims oppose each other. In Bosnia Orthodox Christians, Catholic Christians and Muslims kill each other.

Religious conflict will continue unless there is separation of religion and state where the government is neutral toward religion, and religion does not use government to pursue its agenda.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10725&page=0 and http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10790&page=0 are two articles I have written on the subject.

Separation of religion and state will not end all conflicts, but I think it might end the one in Sri Lanka. I propose working for greater separation of religion and state in all countries including Australia and boycotting those countries like Sri Lanka where the lack of separation is the cause of great human oppression.

"David Fisher_is_an_old_man_fascinated_by_the_ecological_implications_of language, sex and mathematics...ha...nice...

Dear David,
you wrote"Separation of religion and state will not end all conflicts, but I think it might end the one in Sri Lanka"...

I do not agree as religion has been used as tool of control of population by powerful through know human history...read Daniel and King nebuchadnezzar and his order to worship the gold statue he created...

now a background...we as men are made of three knowable parts...mind body soul...or the trinity in Christianity(or holy trinity_father the mind, son the body, holy spirit the everlasting soul)...this trinity exists in some form in all major religions...and we have got to know our mind(and all its wondrous creations with science in the modern world) and our body(medicine)...but almost nothing of our soul...(no...no arguments on this about existence of soul...nebuchadnezzar believed in it...and mankind's search and bond to religion says we believe in the soul...)...religions purpose is to help us know more of our souls...no current religion does this...its an individuals quest...

secondly...what is the message from god? or rephrase in christian speak...what was the message of Christ?...google and youll get bucket load of blab on the messenger...not the messge...and on Islamic site...this...
http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/truejesus.htm
"The foundation of Jesus’ message was submission to the will of God" and I agree to an extent...though prefer Hindu approach of 'do your duty'...so your purpose of life is to be connected with god and know what his will is for you in each moment and situations...its a personal relationship...

so you see...religion is tool for control...in practice its organized by men/women to place itself between you and god...and tell you what you should be...see the problem...

Howard W Armstrong...know him and his church.of.the.world?...and his crusade to bring world peace...he failed...from his website...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_881938&feature=iv&src_vid=EpJZ-qXjunE&v=LmWXHnJtBoc
this guy had money and influence...so we are not going to go far boycotting countries where theres no separation of state and religion...in fact the opposite...but ensure religion is no longer used as a tool for the controllers but serves its purpose to help one know their soul...any interference should be a capital crime...
sam

Dear Sam,

We thoroughly disagree. I don’t believe in a Trinity or any sort of supernatural entity. However, I do know that the Trinity is not a feature of all religions. There are religions that maintain there is one god, many gods or no god. I think God is a human invention and does not exist. I also know of no evidence for the existence of a soul. I don’t think life has any purpose beside what we choose to give it.

Religion has served a purpose as a binding force for humans who wanted an answer to a world they could not fully understand. In a pluralistic society it is a source of conflict. I support the right of people to accept any kind of belief they want as long as they don’t try to force it on other people. I hope that people will grow out of a need for religion. I think of it as a relict of a more superstitious age. However, I think that it will never completely die away. When the current religions go out of fashion humans will invent new ones. Just as we look back on the Greek, Roman and Norse myths people of the future will look back on the Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim myths. However, they will probably invent new nonsense to replace the discarded nonsense.

Possibly you are referring to Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God. In my opinion it is simply more religious nuttiness.
As far as capital crimes go I do not favour the death penalty for any offense. I think people should be free to hold any religious beliefs and also free to point out that such beliefs are rubbish.