ABC-4 CORNERS telecasts unethical Channel 4-UK an unauthenticated manufactured fiction clip titled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”
Posted on July 5th, 2011

Malin Abeyatunge

Amidst hundreds of oral and written protests by the Sri Lankan community in Australia, ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s appalling that the ABC telecasted the fiction film clip titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s killing fieldsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ borrowed from an unethical broadcaster from UK- Channel 4. Even though the Channel 4 is a public TV funded by the Tax payers, Channel 4 is alleged to be in the edge of bankruptcy and telecasting this clip would have bought them out of the RED presumably by LTTE funding. The clip which was broadcasted by the ABC is controversial and contentious for the following reasons:

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚· This is not a documentary but compilation of images, clips borrowed from LTTE propaganda machine Tamil net and many other Tamil websites and the AI who coughs for LTTE dollars;

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚· Many of the images and footage s shown are fake and unsubstantiated and manufactured to suit the financiers, producers and the Directors and the telecasters;

1. The Main witness Vani Kumar appears to be very innocent but was a militant operating from UK under LTTE frontƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Tamil Youth Organization (TYO) and having links with the LTTE. She arrived in Sri Lanka in 2008 at the request of Castro (former head of the LTTE Foreign Division) and has undergone military training. Hence her depiction of events cannot be treated as impartial;

2. According to her narration, how can she conclusively say the shelling came from Sri Lankan forces. According to her narration, the viewers get the impression that GoSL was not fighting a war with LTTE but with ordinary civilians and zero retaliation from LTTE sides. In other words, the most brutal terrorist outfit had gone into sleep whilst SL forces were attacking them;

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚· The controversial footage where the narrator claims that SL soldiers killing LTTE prisoners is totally a FAKE. The original of the footage which is now in public domain the killers speak in Tamil but the manufactured one which Channel 4 and ABC telecasted, the killers speak in Sinhalese. How come?;

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚· Channel 4 now endorsed by ABC by telecasting it says the photos were taken by mobile cameras. But technical and digital experts who analyzed say that it had come from video filming and those experts challenge the Forensic expert who endorsed it as authenticated to Channel 4;

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚· There are many distorted information in the narration like;

1. Before Killinochhi was captured, it was not the Government who herded them to Mulathivu but the LTTE to use them as a laborers and human shields;

2. Narrator mentions that war was unequal? What do you expect when you are fighting a conventional war with the most brutal terrorist outfit who possess military power in land, sea and air and also suicide bombers?

3. The narrator continued to use the 3 member Panel Report as a UN report. This is completely wrong. This was a report called by UNSG by appointing three outsiders for the UNSG to get some feed back of the conflict during the last phase of the war. There is no UN security Council or the UN Human Rights Council approval to call this ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-a UN ReportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and latest being that UNSG has conveniently suspended proceeding further.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 4. There is a bearded Tamil old man in front of the UN gate says ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-they are at our throatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Now he doesnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t say who ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-They ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- are whether he meant the LTTE or the Government forces. But the narrator attempts to hoodwink the viewers that the old man meant was Government forces;

If we analyze the whole clip, there are many technical, digital, narrative flaws which are exhaustive and what I mentioned above only a few of those. Lastly ABC is a public corporation funded by the Australian Tax payers and ABC should be more responsible airing unauthenticated fake videos and clips to mislead the viewers.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Malin Abeyatunge

4 Responses to “ABC-4 CORNERS telecasts unethical Channel 4-UK an unauthenticated manufactured fiction clip titled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields””

  1. aravinda Says:

    The C4 cut and paste job is an insult to journalism. It appears some are very angry that LTTE was vanquished and 22 million SRI lANKANS now live without fear. This so called documentary, is about last few days of a 27 year old war. We need documentaries of the whole war. About 70,000 murdered by LTTE, hacking pregnant woman by LTTE, killing President Premadasa and Prime Minister Gandhi, blinding President Chandrika, over 500 bombs planted in Colombo and rest of the country, killing all Tamil members of the parliament by LTTE, murdering whole scale slaughter of non-Tamil children, killing Buddhist monks, killing 600 surrendered, unarmed Government Servants, bombing places of worship and crimes of LTTE, ones never before heard of in human history. Where is all that?

    This is not a documentary. It is a cut and paste job done with LTTE money to reignite racial disharmony in Sri Lanka. We must not forget, at this given moment, many Sri Lankans are awaiting deportation from UK. Every attempt is made to stop former LTTE cardres ending up in Colombo.

    Please have another look at the infamous 48 minute video.

    10.00 – People getting in to a shallow ditch, obviously taking instructions from a director or a LTTE thug, solely for filming purpose.

    17.31 – Man talking of a childs death in WINTER CLOTHS! how?

    30.15 – Man in LTTE uniform bending.

    30.47 – Two armed LTTE cardres in the refugee camp! Did the editor forget to edit this out?

    33.34 – Where is ” Sexual abuse” as claimed by the film maker? Is it just his perverted mind?

    33.50 – The so called “Naked execution” video with SINHALA voices (THE FAKE) is poorer quality than the same video with TAMIL original voices. How do we explain that? And why this is filmed by a VIDEO Camera and not by a mobile phone as claimed?

    39.10 – The narrator lamented about deaths of child solders. These are Sri Lankan children forcibly recruited by LTTE ( of which Isipirya and indirectly Vanniya belong). Is Army responsible for forcible recruitment of 12 year old girls by LTTE. What a load of garbage is this? Have they forgotten Prabakaran’s children were leading luxury lives while he was recruiting young teenage virgins to his army?

    Nowhere in the footage it can be identified in which country it was filmed. Nowhere in footage we see Sinhala being spoken? ( I am not taking about dubbing). So mush for balanced coverage!

    42.32 – Man is lamenting about 3 terrorist leaders who surrendered had died. These were armed killers! How many times did disguised LTTE killers have gone on killing rampage? What about 600 surrendered, unarmed Government Servants killed by LTTE? Shall we lament about them?

    This is a SICK video produced by a SICK mind. Sadly, that it found its way to ABC. We should not forget LTTE, worlds most vicious terrorist organisation was never banned in Australia. So much for fight against terrorism. Like Mrs. Hilarious Hillary said, “They are good terrorists “. LTTE did’t kill Americans. They only killed other peoples children.

    37.32 – Woman speaking of atrocities is in WINTER CLOTHS! How?

  2. love_lanka Says:

    Malin, you correct.

    There are so many inaccuracies in this. That is why we need international independent investigations to get to the bottom of this once an for all. Agree right?

  3. dhane Says:

    Malin & Aravida both good comments. In short LTTE diaspora was collecting funds earlier to attained Eleam. Now its failed.To keep collecting funds from innocent tamils diaspora need another topic or a cause. Now their trump card to take MR & Gotabaya war crimes, that shows very clearly on 4th ABC 4 corners. My dear Tamil friends do not wast your hard earn money for funding these idiots. They will never ever able to take anybody into war crimes tribunal. Same as eleam this movement also will have natural death.

  4. A. Sooriarachi Says:

    The presenter of 4-corners Kerry O’Brien and the producer of the program, obviously did not have the guts or elementary courtesy to interview persons who could have informed the Australian publc about the flaws and fabrications in the documentary titled the Killing Field. What prompted these two ABC journalists to telecast a fabricated video previously shown on BBC Ch-4 program? I believe Kerry will soon retire, but unfortunately without leaving the scene gracefully, he decided to bat for the terrorists with his comments clearly endorsing these unsubstantiated allegations thereby not only disgracing himself but also bringing ABC into disrepute.
    4-corners boasts of investigative journalism, but merely telecasting a contrversial video produced by another channel is far from it. 4-corners should have analysed it and interviewed at least the SriLankan Ambassodor in Australia, and let the Australian public decide which version is true. Its unethical to mislead the Australian public and arouse anger and disharmony between the different ethnic groups.

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