Amnesty International is “very impressed” by the video message with which the Australian national soccer team draws attention to the downside of the World Cup in Qatar. That says Floor Beuming on behalf of the human rights organization.

Beuming only wished that actions like that of the Australia team had seen the light of day earlier. “We fully support the statement made. Now it just falls a little bit into the ‘better than nothing’ category is played.”

“Now that the World Cup starts next month, changing the situation on the ground is not very successful. I just think it shows migrant workers in Qatar too that Australians think it’s an important issue. It just had a lot to offer.” Should happen sooner.”

angry emir

Beuming reckons the Qataris will not appreciate the Antipodes’ actions. “I don’t think they like it very much. It was not for nothing that the Emir of Qatar said that he thought a smear campaign was underway.”

“In his opinion, the working conditions have improved a lot and there is far too little attention for that. He also believes there are many stories out there that aren’t true at all and Qatar only benefits from positive publicity.”

Watch the Australia squad video here:

According to Beuming, it is highly uncertain whether the statement by the Australian footballers will be followed. “The players who take part in the World Cup have a moral responsibility to say something about it. Of course, we cannot hold them accountable for their international legal responsibilities. FIFA and the football associations themselves have this responsibility. We are therefore contacting them directly.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that a message is much stronger when it’s footballers, not union representatives, as is the case with Australia. We encourage this from all sides.”

Deserves to follow

A few weeks before the start of the World Cup, Beuming believes that the example should be followed. “It’s a very nice way of using a very broad platform to tell the millions of fans that they have what’s going on in Qatar. Especially when it comes to demands for compensation for the victims and their relatives, there is not enough movement.”

“I think it’s very good that if players speak up now, they’re drawing attention to this because it’s too late to undo what has gone wrong in Qatar over the past 12 years.”