Leeds United to tour Myanmar despite UK government concerns
Tuesday 24 April 2018 16:24, UK
Leeds' tour to Myanmar next month has been questioned by Amnesty International due to the country's "brutal" human rights record.
The Sky Bet Championship side will play two friendly matches in the country, against an all-star team from Myanmar's National League on May 9 before they take on the national team two days later.
Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani owns Eleven Sports which has a TV rights package in the region.
The Leeds squad will also take part in running football training sessions for children in local communities.
But political unrest has been a feature of life in Myanmar for several years. The UN claimed last month that "ethnic cleansing" is rife in the country, with coordinated attacks on Muslims. Seventy people died in the country last August, when insurgents attacked police and armed forces.
"It certainly seems like an odd choice of country to choose to tour," said Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen. "The last year has seen the human rights situation in Myanmar deteriorate dramatically.
"Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled crimes against humanity in Rakhine State to neighbouring Bangladesh; those who remain continue to live under a system amounting to apartheid.
"The Myanmar authorities have continued the brutal crackdown despite a global outcry.
"Far too often sporting events have been used as a cheap PR tool to 'sportswash' the stain of a country's human rights record."
Despite warnings from the UK government about visiting certain areas of the country, Leeds managing director Angus Kinnear was keen to highlight the positives of touring the country.
"Myanmar is one of the fastest growing nations in South East Asia and is passionate about English football," Kinnear told the club's official website.
"They have ambitious goals for grassroots and elite football development that we are delighted to be able to support.
"This tour gives us an opportunity to meet new fans of football who will hopefully support our journey back to the Premier League in the coming years.
"From a football perspective, we welcome the opportunity for our players who have not featured much in the past six months due to injuries the chance to continue their rehabilitation. The squad are very excited for the chance to represent the club in Asia."
See here for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) advice regarding travel to Myanmar.
