Story on Death of Prabakaram’s Son – February 19,2013
Posted on February 24th, 2013
Ira de Silva London, Ontario, Canada
The Editor
The Hindu
New Delhi, India
Dear Sir:
Your front page story regarding the death of Prabhakaran’s son and the allegation that he was shot by the Sri Lankan army typifies India’s attitude to Sri Lanka, namely that of an interfering bully who will use any excuse to harrass Sri Lanka. It is clearly meant to provoke anti Sri Lankan sentiments in India and has succeeded particularly in Tamil Nadu, a state that has always supported the LTTE and used Sri Lanka to dictate policy to the central government.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Jayalalitha has not missed a second to take up the LTTE cause again knowing that with an Indian election in the near future she can use Sri Lanka as a bargaining tool againstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a weak central government. India claims in international forum that it is a friend of Sri Lanka but it’s actions over the years prove that it supports terrorism, provides funding, military bases and it’s media fall in line to promote terrorism in Sri Lanka.
Since you published these allegations without question, perhaps you will also consider publishing the following which gives examples that the pictures have been doctored and are probably from the LTTE themselves now being used by the LTTE diaspora and their paid agents in the media for publicity against Sri Lanka just in time for the Human Rights Sessions in Geneva. Did you not consider it strange that six months ago before the sessions Channel 4 came up with dubious photos of Balachandrans dead body and now publish photos supposedly before he was killed? Was it not obvious to you that this is the continuation of LTTE propaganda? TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Indian media is as responsible for supporting terrorism in Sri Lanka as is the Indian Government and particularly the Government of Tamil Nadu.
I am forwarding the link to an article by another Canadian which analyses the photos and provides proof that the photos have been falsified to suit the LTTE which media such as yours reproduce without question. http://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2013/02/20/the-boy-in-the-bunker-faked-photo-or-real/
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A series of photographs taken a few hours apart and on the same camera, show Balachandran Prabhakaran, son of Villupillai Prabhakaran, head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). One of them shows the boy sitting in a bunker, alive and unharmed, apparently in the custody of Sri Lankan troops. Another, a few hours later, shows the boy’s body lying on the ground, his chest pierced by bulletsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/handed-a-snack-and-then-executed-the-last-hours-of-the-12yearold-son-of-a-tamil-tiger-8500295.html) .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Is it probable that the army which was on the move in battle would have set up this elaborate bunker? It is more likely that this is an LTTE bunkerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in which he was kept during the war.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Regardihg the previous photoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the dead boy,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ my comment is thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it shows bullet wounds but no blood on the body even though it is claimed that he was shot at close range – did the artists forget that little detail?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Also, the Sri Lankan soldiers did not wear slippers and shoes as seen in the photo, another indication that those near the dead body were LTTE).
As published in your newspaper, Callum Macrae states ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-(The photos) prove that Balachandran was not killed in crossfire, or in a battle. His death was deliberate and calculated”. What is proven is that Callum Macrae is lying. HeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is the voice of the LTTE anti Sri Lanka campaign using doctored photos and videos as they have done in the past and no doubt will come up with in the future every time there is a Human Rights session in Geneva.
Yours truly,
Ira de Silva
London, Ontario, Canada
February 24th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
Thank you Ira. For the nth time I have to say that this kind of bogus allegations will never end until these propaganda merchants are sued for libel and damages. SL has left room for this. GoSL has NOT, to my knowledge, formally claimed third party casualties under collateral as the US regularly does in all its illegal foreign military escapades. So the whole nation pays for the legal incompetence of the GoSL. I am simply amazed that despite a significant body of factual evidence in our favour, our representatives abroad simply seem unable to articulate the facts powerfully and on time. Time is soon approaching when we will all pay dearly for this crass incompetence! The excuse trotted out is that we need to spend our meager resources on the local inhabitants and cannot afford litigation. When I see all the luxuries being imported, I find that explanation hard to swallow – S de Silva – London
February 24th, 2013 at 1:41 pm
One can clearly notice the boy’s side burns on left side of his face dropping down to below the ear, but on the dead body, there is no side burn and the artist had done an amature job by painting the hair which looks like as if he is wearing a toupee. Channel-4, fire the bastard who came from Jaffna and hire one from Colombo.
February 24th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Even if it is so :This not bad as RANDEVOLA attack by hindus or U S A killing BINLADEN inside Pakistan.
TAMILS ATTACKED SINHALESE.AND SINHALESE KILLED SOME OF THEM.NOW WHY COMPLAIN? JUST ACCCEPT THE DEATH LIKE OUR ‘VEERA KEPPETIPOLA’
TO LEARN THAT U HAVE TO LEARN THE HISTORY OF SINHALE. HOW CAN U ALL LEARN IT WHEN IT IS NOT EVEN TAUGHT TO SINHALESE
MUSLIM MINISTER— BADUDEEN—— IS THE MAN WHO STOPPED TEACHING HISTORY AND THEN THAMBI MUDALI JAYAWARDANA
February 24th, 2013 at 1:58 pm
Mr S De Silva
I have repeated this many times in a manner that Lankaweb moderators will allow my comment to be publish.
Leading Counsel representing GOSL as instructed by the High Commission felt any successful case for libel/damages against CH4 would require vital statement in the form of an affidavit (and cross examination in court thereof) by Gotabya Rajapakse.
February 24th, 2013 at 3:12 pm
Marco, you have only provided an excuse for not litigating which is really hearsay, not a valid reason for not litigating. We need to get an answer from the government itself not speculation.
February 24th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
Micro (Laksiri F’do) is panicking of the POSSIBILITY of litigation.
IF litigation goes ahead, these losers lose their begging bowl!! :((
There is no need to cross examine GR over a case against C4. Even if it comes to that GR will have FREE AIR TIME to whack Tamil terrorists abroad.
February 24th, 2013 at 8:13 pm
I am not sure what Marco is rambling about… I was involved with this from day one and whole thing came crashing down due to SL, UK HC hiring a idiot from north as a legal council and my UK group (all are local Brits not SL’s) had hired a top London firm and a silk to handle this.
One of the top British and US labs were hired to analyse the video and all of their conclusions are same as my reports. (Remember that only few are in public domain due to ltte keep on changing the video after my analysis) .
I had a Program manger to handle this( very close friend of mine also british) and once HC brought this low level funky our guys were really appalled since if you want to take ch4 to courts you need the best to handle this.
I advise them to withdraw and thats it…
Issue is these kind of things should be properly cordinated from the govt. and should have some high level govt. official to navigate the process. I would say our foreign ministry is completely sleeping on the job and only active players are from defence and AG but UK HC at that time was incompetent .
Interested parties are mentioning defence secretary here and he was not needed for the case. We had full data that can take ch4 to courts.
Not sure what is the angle Marco is using since he was telling pokies re. me and the Prof. Rajiva. If he is really this guy Laksiri then we all know what his colours are and a another failed Trotskyite selling the country.
February 25th, 2013 at 7:56 am
My opinion is: If technical grounds/evidence can show that Channel 4 videos are doctored, then GOSL should sue Ch. 4. If relying on witnesses, I have no faith in the British system, as the system can be influenced by bias in favor of Tamils. British system has favored Tamils and that is how so many Tamils obtained bogus refugee status. How can you trust a system that has allowed many bogus refugees ?
February 25th, 2013 at 3:01 pm
Thanks Ira for this effort.
Let me repeat what I said in another post on this topic.
In a propoganda war, access to funds is vital. Instead of flapping our arms saying “no fund no funds” while LTTE diaspora and western officials flog us with their bogus materials, we need to be asking how and where we, as private organisation of concerned Sri Lankans, can raise these funds. No use hoping for GOSL and MOD to do everything. They are already stretched to the limit. We, as private organisations should consider approaching well-resourced third party entities or philanthropists potentially interested in SL cause. For instance, there is lots of talk among patriots about protecting Buddhism etc, then are there NO multi millionaire Buddhists in East Asia, for instance, who would take an interest? How many expatriates have bothered to do any networking regarding litigation and media funding? Networking and bogus sob stories appears to be something the Tamils overseas excel in. Lorenzo, how about approaching some of the Israeli billionnaires and see if they will throw our cause a few millions in return for your loyalty to them? These are only examples. We have to find the funding quickly.