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International News Mafia
How they distort news reports

International News Mafia
How they distort news reports

For the last 26 years the Tamil Tiger separatists were terrorising 19.7 millions of innocent civilians in Sri Lanka , they planted bombs in Public Buses, Market Places, Temples, Banks, kidnapped children to make them into soldiers, made suicide bombers out of them, and killed a President of Sri Lanka and a Prime Minister of India and many politicians. They became the world's most ruthless terrorist organisation with the money collected from the Western Capitals. The so called "the democratic western world" even refused to sell any weapons to Sri Lanka and inevitably Sri Lankans became innocent victims of this ruthless terrorism, being unable to protect themselves. Fortunately, some of the Sri Lankans friendly neighbours like China, Pakistan and Iran came in time to rescue them. When the terrorist war is now, coming to an end with the Tamil terrorists being cornered and about to get wiped out, isn't it strange at all, that the pro terrorist media will bring every accusation possible to discredit the government?.

"They did it China; they did it in Russia, now they are doing it in Sri Lanka. They do it because they like to destabilise these regions. Now the time has come for the world opinion to reject this terrorist propaganda machinery in the name of Western News Agencies". A British Citizen of Sri Lankan Origin

" Most of the Western News mafia including CNN, Al-Jazeera and specially the BBC of trying to sensationalize civilian hardships by telecasting video clips from LTTE terrorist websites. What the international community including UN agencies and the ICRC should do is to maximize pressure to bear on the Tigers and make them release civilians trapped in the war zone and used as human shields. It was irresponsible not to talk about civilians held in the war zone by the LTTE while making comments that only helped the Tigers"-Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

An LTTE's Weapons of Mass Destruction
EU Minister and the Prime Minister of UK say that Sri Lanka should immediately call for ceasefire and go for negotiations with the terrorists who even manufacture submarines and under water vehicles to attack civilian ships-
-More news on terrorist underwater vehicles found - Mullaittivu
-

Act responsibly or be chased out,’’ Gota tells BBC & envoysby Franklin R. Satyapalan .-Full Report-(island.lk-01/02/09)

Defence Secretary's Warning Was Long Overdue Albeit Well Addressed To Those Concerned!
Insight By Sunil Kumar For LankaWeb
Jan.31st 2009. .-Full Report-(The LankaWeb-01/02/09)

Pro Terrorist reporter Marie Colvin back in the seen and files reports based on Terrorist Propaganda materials.-Full Report-(The Sunday Times UK-01/02/09)

Cock-eyed Chris Morris files slanted report on Lanka for the Biased British Corporation (BBC)
H. L. D. Mahindapala
Editor, Sunday and Daily Observer (1990 - 1994). President, Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association (1991 -1993). Secretary-General, South Asia Media Association (1993 -1994) .-Full Report-(The LankaWeb-29/01/09)

Russia

Georgian War moves from battleground to broadcasting studio
Footage of what the Financial Times called the "ruins" of the city appeared on news networks - which came as a great surprise to Russian cameraman, Aleksandr Zhukov, who recognised his own footage as that of Tskhinvali and not Gori.

CNN jumped on Georgia President Mikhail Saakashvili’s claim to have witnessed "first hand" two Russian planes bombing the city, and reported it as fact.
Russia's UN ambassador said the allegations were part of a "disinformation campaign.

 

China

Riots in the street of Lhasa, Tibet -Man should never act as low as CNN and BBC

 

 

*Indirectly fostering terrorism in Sri Lanka.: *
LTTE propaganda channelled through foreign media including the BBC, AFP, Reuters and AP.

And How they distort news reports

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LTTE Propaganda work taken over by BBC
'Six killed' by Sri Lankan army -LTTE report reproduced By BBC
Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka say at least six civilians were killed in an attack by the security forces in the north of the island on Monday night. They say a passenger vehicle was blown up by a roadside mine planted by the army inside rebel-controlled territory in the district of Mullaitivu. The dead are said to have included two children. A military spokesman denied that the security forces were involved. The rebels say 19 people were killed in the north in similar attacks in May.-Full Report-(BBC-04/06/08)

 

Poll free and fair, say Foreign Monitors

Rasika SOMARATHNA COLOMBO: The international election monitoring group, the Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA), called the May 10 polls in East as one of the best behaved and effectively conducted elections they had ever witnessed. Releasing their observation report on the polls yesterday, the AAEA said that the elections were totally free and fair and that they had not encountered a single untoward incident during their monitoring process. The AAEA comprised 17 members from 10 Asian countries, with the team including eminent personalities in their respective countries including several elections commissioners in their ranks, who had a thorough experience in international election observations. Group leader Ming-Hwa Tsai said the team had been divided into three groups and had done an extensive monitoring process before arriving at the conclusion. The AAEA praised the conduct of polling agents, election and security authorities for their active participation in the process which they called as one which acted as an effective form of check-and-balance preventing malpractices. They also noted that the professionalism demonstrated by the election administrators had greatly contributed to the credibility of the result. The AAEA also praised the behaviour of the Eastern polity, describing the voter participation, discipline and enthusiasm as exemplary. The AAEA pointed out that this in itself was ample testimony to their understanding of the importance of the electoral exercise and adhering to democratic norms. The AAEA concluding their mission said the fact that people themselves embraced the elections, more than anything else, proved that the poll was free and fair.-Report-(Daily News)

"The reason why the UNP has raised a mighty hue and cry over alleged election malpractices is not because they don’t know that the EPC elections was as peaceful as any election in the south can ever hope to be, but because of the apprehension that this defeat may give rise to another leadership challenge within the UNP. In fact, the UNP knew as well as we columnists did, that winning was going to be an uphill task which is why they formed bogus elections monitoring NGOs and began talking of the impossibility of having a free and fair election, weeks before the elections were actually held, and when pre-election violence much lower than at most elections held in the south. Despite the panic stricken rhetoric being spewed forth by UNP apologists, it must be said that, this defeat is not really a defeat for the UNP." -An independent National News Paper-The Island

Bullet to ballot The relatively violence-free conduct of the first ever election to Sri Lanka’s Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) is a feather in the cap of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which teamed up with the breakaway LTTE group led by Pillayan, has emerged victorious with 20 of the 37 seats. The opposition parties have charged the government with large-scale electoral irregularities. The reports of independent observer groups provide some support to such complaints. However, the fact that the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) combine polled over 42 per cent of the votes cast indicates that the charge of large-scale rigging has no leg to stand on. Quite apart from who won and who lost, the EPC election has far-going political significance. The Hindu Editorial

Then the International Media agencies became a shameless political tool for the opposition.

Fraud alleged in victory by Sri Lanka governing party
BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka: The governing party of Sri Lanka won control of the country's tense Eastern Province on Sunday after an election that monitors said was marred by voter intimidation and fraud. The election commission said that the United People's Freedom Alliance coalition won 52 percent of the vote in the balloting Saturday, giving it 18 seats - plus two bonus seats given to the winner - on the province's 37-member council. The opposition United National Party won 42 percent of the vote and captured 15 seats, while two smaller parties won one seat each, the commission said. The opposition condemned the results of the election, saying they were the outcome of an irreparably flawed vote. "This is a totally distorted mandate that they got," said Rauff Hakeem, leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, which ran in coalition with the UNP. "This is obtained by fraud." -Full Report-( AP)

Irregularities Mar Sri Lanka Vote As Ruling Party Claims Victory
Associated Press Word Count: 564 BATTICALOA, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's ruling party won control Sunday of the country's tense Eastern Province following an election the opposition condemned as irreparably flawed. The government hailed the victory in a region it freed from rebel rule last year as a mandate to push ahead with its increasingly costly war against the Tamil Tigers in the guerillas' heartland in the north. "It shows that the people from all communities want terrorism wiped out from the whole country, not just from the east," said Chandrapala Liyanage, spokesman for President Mahinda Rajapaksa. -Full Report-(AP)

Claims of intimidation in Sri Lanka provincial polls
Irregularities in Sri Lanka's council elections Sri Lanka Tiger rebels sink merchant vessel Sri Lanka accuses rebels of sinking navy ship The Sri Lankan government has claimed victory in key provincial elections in the east of the island. It says the win is a major boost for its war against the Tamil Tigers. Election officials have confirmed that the government and its allies are on track to win control over a 35-member provincial council in the east coastal region. But local and international election monitors say they've observed a number of irregularities at polling stations across the eastern districts. Head of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, Kingsley Rodrigo, says voters were threatened and intimidated by members of the pro-government TMVP, a party comprising Tamil Tiger defectors -Full Report-( .radioaustralia.net.au)

Sri Lanka's provincial poll in east
An estimated 60 per cent turned out, according to initial reports, but the figure could be higher, election officials said, although voting was slow in the first few hours. Reports from the area said that enthusiasm among voters was high and a strong turnout was expected. -Full Report-( monstersandcritics.com)
Sri Lanka holds crucial vote in war-torn east
We want peace soon, I will vote for the people who can bring us peace and send us home soon," said S Chandrasekaran, a 42-year-old farmer who had to flee his home in 2006 when the military began an offensive to drive the Tigers out of the out. The vote underpins the government's twin strategy to defeat the rebels using both the ballot box and the current military offensive.-Full Report-( reliefweb.int)
But For AP -Voters in eastern Sri Lanka worry about future
By RAVI NESSMAN, Associated Press But many here were skeptical that the election would change anything Kingsley Rodrigo, head of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, an independent monitoring group, said the TMVP was threatening and intimidating voters across the province Saturday. "There are many, many violations taking place," he said. -Full Report-( Yahoo)
Sri Lanka's provincial poll in east in progress - Update
Incidents of intimidating voters, impeding polling agents or political party representatives at the polling booths, and cases of impersonation were being reported, but no large scale rigging has taken place, one of the groups monitoring the poll said. Reports from the area said that enthusiasm among voters was high and a strong turnout was expected. . -Full Report-( earthtimes.org)
Ex-Tamil Tigers set their eyes on polls
By Roland Buerk BBC News, Batticaloa, eastern Sri Lanka
The poll will lay the foundation for limited devolution that the government bills as the answer to ethnic minority Tamil people's decades-long complaints of domination by Sinhalese-led central governments.The TMVP is now led by a former Tiger child soldier who goes by the nom de guerre, Pillaiyan.He has not only turned his back on the Tigers' ideal of independence for the Tamil minority, but his party is also allied with the government in the election. During campaigning gunmen could be seen in party compounds. (BBC's word for armed security) -Full Report-(BBC)

Mr. Athas, it is the truth that you rape - Reportage most foul on the Muhamalai battle -Full Story- (The LankaWeb- 05/05/08)

Duplicity of the free-media and human rights champions
S. Akurugoda -Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 22/02/07)

Differentiate journalism and unionism from terrorismS. Akurugoda-Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 11/02/07)

WHILE FREE MEDIA MOVEMENT DEMANDS RELEASE OF THREE MEN GOVERNMENT PUTS UP VIDEO SHOWING THEIR CONFESSION ON RECEIVING ARMS AND TRAINING FROM TIGERS
By Walter Jayawardhana -Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 09/02/07)

A bloodbath averted; three LTTE terrorists arrested with deadly weapons - Colombo
Possessed Media Accreditation cards
Possessed haul of arms, explosives
Planned LTTE attacksMinistry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order View Video -Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 08/02/07)

"3 mediapersons have LTTE links"
B. Muralidhar Reddy COLOMBO: -Full Story- (Hindu - 08/02/07)

Lanka urged to free journalists-Full Story- (gulf-times.com - 09/02/07)

Rights groups demand Sri Lankan journalists' release
-Full Story- (radioaustralia.net.au - 08/02/07)

Sri Lanka asked to free detained journalists
-Full Story- (abs-cbnnews.com - 08/02/07)

Sri Lankan police arrest 2 journalists
. -Full Story- (thestate.com - 08/02/07)

DEFEAT THE MALICIOUS PROPAGANDA WAR AND RUTHLESSLY COUNTER THE TERRORIST OFFENSIVES.
A.A.M.NIZAM MATARA.-Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 16/08/06)

Govt. dismisses SLMM claim on Mullaitivu bombings
by Harischandra Gunaratna The Island-Full Story- (The Island - 16/08/06)

ICRC warns of LTTE disinformation campaign -Full Story- (dailynews.lk - 16/08/06)

IF THEY ARE SCHOOL GIRLS HOW COME THEY WEAR MILITARY UNIFORMS? WE NEED AN EXPLANATION FROM THE EDITOR OF TAMILNET
By Walter Jayawardhana-Full Story- (The LankaWeb - 16/08/06)

The diabolical lie No.1- Sri Lanka air strike 'hit pupils' BBC News - Aug 15 8:04 AM UN officials and truce monitors in Sri Lanka reject claims that children killed in an air force raid were rebels. UN disputes Sri Lanka raid claims BBC News - Aug 15 8:15 AM UN officials and truce monitors in Sri Lanka reject claims that children killed in an air force raid were rebels.

Tiger justice! -Husband and wife executed by LTTE pistol gang for not attending the civilian military training program -Full Story- (The Daily Mirror - 25/05/06)

Pampering ruthless Black Sea Tiger suicide unit No.2-

The diabolical lie No.3-
The fictional report of 40,000 refugees fleeing from Muttur when it had only a total population of 16,000 in Apri 2006

by Susantha Goonatilake (Daily News, National Newspaper in Sri Lanka)

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was understandably furious. He lashed out at the propaganda war being carried out against Sri Lanka by some foreign media. Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella exploded at the anti Sri Lanka statements of SLMM. The Sunday Island traced the emergence as a sleight of hand of the so-called "co-chairs", conceivably the bosses of SLMM.

Misinformation and lies is the downside of that very desirable condition - media freedom. And in war, truth is the first casualty. What Mahinda Rajapaksa objected as enemy war propaganda was not the usual pro LTTE Sri Lankan outlets like the Tamil Net, Sunday Leader, Irudina, Shakti or Sirasa.

He was objecting primarily to the LTTE propaganda channelled through foreign media including the BBC. He implied the fictional report of 40,000 refugees fleeing from Muttur when it had only a total population of 16,000. This was a repetition of an original lie the LTTE put out.

Western media

When their own countries had been threatened, Britain and other Western countries had behaved otherwise. The BBC brought in censorship. For example when the IRA was carrying its violent actions, no IRA members were allowed to be interviewed on BBC. In the classic case of World War II, the BBC was used as a propaganda arm and to relay intelligence messages.

Again during World War II, when in a BBC accent, the fascists put out the infamous Lord Haw Haw's misinformation, the British hanged Lord Haw Haw. And for the USA, it was no different. It was felt that the Vietnam War was hampered by the loss of morale due to unfettered reporting from the War front.

The USA defence authorities now decided that there should not be unrestricted direct reporting by independent journalists. Therefore, most recent US wars were covered in their active phases by reporters being briefed or conducted to the battlefront as a group by US defence authorities.

But this is not the first time the BBC had worked against Sri Lanka. Its Sinhala programme Sandesaya run by Priyantha Liyanage is a far cry from the Sandesaya when it was under the likes of Bhadra Gunatilleke and H. M. Gunasekera. Sandesaya is the major outlet of anti Sri Lanka propaganda in Sinhalese.

The classic case of the BBC working against Sri Lankan sovereignty and helping it be dismembered was when Sri Lankan troops were about to take Jaffna in 1995. It got the then head of an anti Sri Lanka outfit to make an international appeal over BBC air ways (Sandesaya 28th November 1995) to stop the army marching into Jaffna.

International Alert was a setup that had been actually founded (as Gamini Iriyagolla pointed out in five well researched articles in the Island February/March 1994) to support the Tamil separatist cause.

International Alert's map of future Sri Lanka showed much greater territory ceded to Tamil racists than even the LTTE maps. International Alert was around that time also embroiled in support of the LTTE-equivalent in Sierra Leone, the infamous RUF.

The elected leader of Sierra Leone had been overthrown by a coup by the RUF, which the overthrown democratic leader Tejan Kabbah alleged in a letter to Kofi Annan, (dated 3 April 1997) [and in a one hour broadcast over the American Broadcasting Corporation ABC (October 5, 1997)] that International Alert was involved in.

This type of misinformation which the President referred to, some members of the government and the public have known for some time. I can remember around 10 years ago hosting Mangala Samaraweera in New York and getting him interviewed on the US public radio. The latter however had swallowed the propaganda line of the LTTE and Samaraweera's carefully marshaled facts fell on skeptical ears. But this is no isolated case. I can relate numerous other examples of misinformation and lies on Sri Lanka.

Kofi to takeover

The state media had on several occasions been more pro LTTE and supportive of the LTTE ideology than the private media. What the President said was misinformation and enemy propaganda is thus unbelievably also retransmitted through his own government's state media, giving these half-truths the imprimatur of the state and added credibility. The state has also made hero figures of anti Sri Lanka propagandists by giving them space in its media.

This was not only in the Nero-like mad, bad days of Chandrika Kumaratunga who had got down the LTTE propagandist Vasantharaja as head of Rupavahini.

True to this recolonizing agenda Uyangoda was even now - the previous week-calling in Ravaya for Kofi Annan to take over Sri Lanka.

Ravaya is edited by Victor Ivan. (The question which Uyangoda did not address was that if within the next year Jayantha Dhanapala, a Sri Lankan was to become Secretary General of the UN would he still advocate the UN taking over Sri Lanka. I doubt it). In the West, at times of war no equal space is given to the enemy or its supporters. There is a spectrum of dissent but not to proven or suspected enemies.

In Indian papers, no one argues for the Pakistan viewpoint on Kashmir and no one in Pakistan for the Indian viewpoint. In Sri Lanka, the impossible and the unique happens, the enemy is given ample room by a some times clueless state.

Mr President, like the suicide bombers getting into the most secure of Sri Lanka centres the propaganda bombers have burrowed deep inside.

It is not only the country and your government that is at stake. By encouraging anti national lies, some state media are indirectly targeting your own life and those of us all.