SPUR questions validity of challenging US Patriot Act by Lankan
The Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) has questioned the authenticity of a Tamil-American who has challenged the American law that criminalizes the provision of 'expert advice and assistance' to banned organizations like the LTTE.
Dr. Jeyalingam, a Sri Lankan Tamil residing in America has filed a law suit against the US Patriot Act, in a Los Angeles Court on August 5 challenging the law that declares illegal, the assistance to a banned organization, thereby denying him the right to serve his people in the war torn NE.
SPUR has raised questions on the need for Dr. Jeyalingam to file legal action against American law instead of approaching international humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross and Medicine Sans Frontier, if he genuinely wants to serve his people.
"Is Dr. Jeyalingam's challenge to the Patriot Act aimed at genuinely offering his services as a doctor to serve in the LTTE controlled area or a ploy to find a legal loophole to raise funds and provide other material assistance to banned terrorists gangs like the LTTE or Al-Qaeda?"
It stated that while the American courts agree that a person's rights guaranteed by the Constitution must not be abridged, Dr. Jeyalingam's rights end where the rights of others begin.
SPUR said, if Dr. Jeyalingam's claim to serve in the LTTE-controlled areas would materially advance and strengthen the grip of a banned group, then no court would endorse such a request. "Endorsement of Dr. Jeyalingam's claim would have far-reaching ramifications. It would legally empower any American practitioner of nuclear medicine to serve the ailing Osama bin Laden, if he needs one."
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