Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields
Posted on June 24th, 2011
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Ira de Silva London, Canada
The Editor
The Guardian
U.K.
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Dear Sir:
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I have just read your article of June 15,2011 re the documentary by Ch.4 titled Sri Lanka’s Killing FieldsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and decided to write to you as it illustrates the very superficial knowledge of western journalists regarding the situation in Sri Lanka and about the terrorism that plagued the country for thirty years.
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The writerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ states that the footage ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “which documented the summary executions, rape, torture and bombing – all apparently sanctioned by the Sri Lankan government – of tens of thousands of Tamils in the last days of the civil war after the UN pulled out of the country in September 2008, was shocking.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The UN never “pulled out of the country”, it was there throughout the war and is still there. It indicates clearly that the writer is not at all informed about Sri Lanka.
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Regarding theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ statement that “civilian women lying dead on the ground, having been raped and mutilated by the government troops to whom they had tried to surrender” is another falsehood. The writerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ seems unaware that nearly 300,000 men, women and children being used by Tamil terroristsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as a human shield broke loose at the first opportunity and crossed over to the area of the Sri Lankan troops who took them to safety.
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One ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ example of a civilianƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the documentary was a woman who wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ called a TV journalist but who was in factƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a known active LTTE (Tamil terrorist) with a rank of Lt. Colonel, known to have played a key role in persuadingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ children to undertake suicide missions, and was a fighting cadre in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ war at her time of death – photo evidence is the identity card issued to her by the LTTE.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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Please note the combat attire which confirms her military involvements with the LTTE – had C4 done even a preliminary investigation,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ this fact would have been clear to them. If they did know of it, and still said what they did in the documentary, it not only indicates the bias of CH4 but also indicates that they deliberately set out to publish false information ignoring the FACT that during the final stages of the war the LTTE used not only ALL its members to fight against the security forces irrespective of their fields of employment, political, media, finance, administration etc. but that civilians including the elderly and children were used in combat as confirmed by many humanitarian agencies based in the area. There is even propaganda material from the LTTE showing the elderly and children being trained in the use of AK47’s.
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As for sexual molestation which was claimed by Ch4, there was absolutely no credible evidence provided in the documentary. It seems that Ch4 merely usedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE propaganda without any attempt at verification and which is been repeated by the author which is probably what CH4 was hoping for.
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As for “to this day, Ban Ki-moon rejects his own organisation’s report that the Sri Lankan government was complicit in war
crimes”.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For the information of your readers and the writer I would like to point out that perhaps Mr. Moon is well aware that there is no credible evidence in the reportƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ because the panel who wrote it clearly states the following:
crimes”.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ For the information of your readers and the writer I would like to point out that perhaps Mr. Moon is well aware that there is no credible evidence in the reportƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ because the panel who wrote it clearly states the following:
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Page 3 of main report – “The panel has not conducted fact finding as that term is understood in U.N. practice.
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Page 15 – This account should not be taken as proven fact.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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Regarding the issue of rape, the panel states on page 44 that they MAY have been raped.
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I have just pointed out a few statements in the report which deal withƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ what the writer has so carelessly stated without any real knowledge or understanding. As for what is called a whistle stop PR tour of a refugee camp by Sri Lankan government officials, and failing to talk to a single Tamil about their experiences, the UN hasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ issuedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a statement that it too is inaccurate.
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RegardingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ -ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ are war crimes in the third world not so important, perhaps that is correct becauseƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the world reads news reports on a daily basis of the war crimes being committed by the first worldƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in Iraq andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Afghanistan and the UN is doing nothing to stop them much lessƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ investigate.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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Yours truly,
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Ira de Silva
London, CanadaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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June 24th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
We can whinge every time LTTE agents like Channel 4, Tamill Pille, Western puppet Moon and others say things to discredit the government of Sri Lanka.Has all these whinging achieved any thing at all? I think it is time all those love Sri Lanka tell the government of Sri Lanka to take some action against these LTTE paid agents and supporters.
Wesrtern governments bring resolutions against Sri Lanka in their parliaments. We should do the same about the war crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libiya and bring to attntion in the UN assembly. After all attach is the best defence.
June 25th, 2011 at 2:48 am
Thank you Ira once again for your valuable comments. Enough has now been written on the subject and the question now is what should we do. The answer includes many things including what Sarath W has pointed out above. In regard to CH4 the ONLY action they will undersatand is the language of money! Just as they seem to understand it very well when US$ are pumped in by the LTTE to produce a program full of invective allegations purposely avoiding fact. CH4 will learn a harsh lesson if fined in a UK Court for libel. So, everyone, please focus your attention on action against CH4 in Court. I hear that according to statements by the SL Minister Hakeem (CDN 18/06/2011), SL is to take legal action on CH4. Hope they will not appoint some ‘pandankarayas’ from an incompetent SL firm of Solicitors in the UK and lose the case, just the thing for CH4 to crow about – we would then be in a worst mess than what we are in now!! – London
June 25th, 2011 at 5:58 am
S de Silva,
I agree. Why not ex-Sri Lankans from UK get together and fund such action or at least suggest SL government some contribution than accusing our government of corruption and favouritism ?
I am sure Ben Silva from UK will contribute some money.
June 25th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Dham,
Money is not question at all. Sinhalese expatriates in the West have to have will power to organize better. I more recently sent an email to lanka associations in Ottawa, Toronto, US, UK and Australia to ask them that they should try to open separate international bank account in which any body can deposit money and also I suggested them to try to deposit one dollar a month by each, but this is something extra I asked them to do, Sinhalese do not have put a dollar month at all if they do not wish to, I know the way how to get the money into the account but I have to have an organization to be in charge of it. I can’t raise fund by myself and put them in my account.. Of course, if the world believe me and give me the money when I go fund raising campaign, I will do the honest job and it will go into the world Guinness book of record because it is the first time that somebody is raising millions of dollars by himself.
However, since the email, I did not see them yet to see how they are going to respond to my idea. Also, I like repeating my promise on this site that if they open an empty account and just give me the account number with right to deposit, they going to be surprise. my target is not 1 million. They know it.
June 26th, 2011 at 5:57 am
I really value your extent of evidence in this matter. I have used it in a debate to prove my point in a youtube account comment thread. The video is the Sri Lanka killing fields. I trust our Sri Lankan soldiers. they are people of discipline and good nature. Not even one piece of footage of our soldiers helping the tamil civillians were shown. We will not stay quiet, while they throw mud at the lives our soldiers have given. We will not forget the countless number of innocent people massacred under a tyrants want for a country of his own and I will not forget the tears shed by the people when their families were torn apart. The war may be over, but these people are close to starting another.