Last updated on: 11/10/2008 | Author: ProCon.org

T. Kumar, LLM Biography

Title:
Advocacy Director for Asia and the Pacific for Amnesty International USA
Position:
Con to the question "Should the Death Penalty Be Legal?"
Reasoning:

“Hindus, not only because they are Hindus, but because they are human beings, should take this particular issue of human rights, namely the death penalty, as a basic issue to fight to abolish the death penalty in this country.”

Interview for Amnesty International’s Faith in Action Online Event, Oct. 12, 2002
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Advocacy Director, Asia and the Pacific, Amnesty International USA
  • Lecturer, Foreign Service Institute
  • Professor, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law
  • Judge of Elections, Philadelphia
  • Testified before US Senate, “Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines,” Mar. 14, 2007
  • Testified before US Senate Committee on Finance, “Human Rights in Vietnam,” July 12, 2006
  • Testified before US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, “US-China Relations,” Sep. 11, 2003
  • United Nations Representative, Peace Brigades International
  • Consultant, Quaker United Nations Office
  • Former director, refugee ships and refugee camps
Education:
  • LLM, University of Pennsylvania Law School
Other:
  • Imprisoned for five years in Sri Lanka for human rights activities. Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience (a non-violent political prisoner).