CATEGORY:SPECIAL REPORT --------------------------- INSIDE GRENADA MONDAY April 23,2007 by Wallace J.A During the Super Eight cricket match between Australia and Sri Lanka (played at the Grenada National Stadium on April 16, 2007) a young man holding a flag over his head suddenly invaded the cricket field, causing a big distraction. He was quickly caught by security personnel at the venue and escorted off the field. Many of the spectators found his prank not only daring but entertaining and applauded him as he was whisked away by security. This, however, was not just a daring prank as some believed and the young man was actually on a ‘planned mission.’ According to an article appearing in the Asian Tribune, the young man who invaded the cricket field is known as Maiyooran and the flag he had on display represented the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist outfit operating inside Sri Lanka. His action at the stadium was obviously a move to draw international attention to the Tamil problem but can also be construed by many as an attempt to glorify Tamil Tiger ‘terrorism.’ Maiyooran, who was deported to Canada subsequent to his arrest in Grenada, is a Canadian citizen of Sri Lankan Tamil origin. He entered Canada when he was 4 ˝ years old. Maiyooran is quoted as saying “I undertook to run across the cricket grounds to support the action plan of the Amnesty International and also to bring the plight of our people to the attention of the international community...I went to West Indies with my friends. My action plan was already preplanned. National flags of many countries were seen flying in the cricket ground. We planed to take our LTTE flag to see the type of response we might get over there.” He went on to say that he “... was able to see from the faces of the Sri Lanka team that they showed fear and also were ashamed...Once I entered the field with the LTTE flag, the policemen were after me. When they came after me, I raised my hands indicating my willingness to cooperate with them.” His action, according to the young man, was not meant to harm the players but simply to draw international attention to the plight of the Tamils. Maiyooran claimed that he was interrogated by about 40 to 50 intelligence officers who were intent on taking legal action against him. He said that he apologized to them for his action and let them know that he had undertaken that protest action to draw attention to the predicament of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. He further disclosed that the security personnel in the country (Grenada) deported him because they did not want a repetition of such a nature since it would tarnish the image of the 2007 Cricket World Cup. He also alleges that he has received congratulatory messages from many people and several youngsters have phoned him so far to thank him for his actions and some were angry with him for not asking them to join him in his protest. This is not the first time that a major sporting function has been interrupted as a result of actions by persons associated with the Tamil Tigers. The first such act was when the Tigers invaded and desecrated the pitch at Lords in England when the Sri Lankans were due to play against England. The Tamil Tigers is a militant organization that has been waging a secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to secure a separate state for the Tamil majority regions in the north and east of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon).