Nomination of Channel 4 UK Video for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize
Posted on February 26th, 2012
Mahinda Gunasekera
To Mr. Lars HeikenstenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Executive DirectorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ran
The Nobel FoundationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Sturegatan 14ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Box 5232ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
SE-102 45 StockholmƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
SwedenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Sturegatan 14ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Box 5232ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
SE-102 45 StockholmƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
SwedenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Dear Mr. Lars Heikenstein,
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Nomination of UK’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Channel 4 Video for 2012 Nobel Peace Prize
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I was shocked to learn that Britain’s Channel 4 video titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ had been nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize by none other thanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ AI,ICG and HRW,which areƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ three of the better known well fundedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ lobbyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ groups active in the human rights field. This video has been compiled with borrowed footage obtained from the Tamilnet,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the propaganda arm of the internationally designated terrorist group called theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (LTTE). It is a one sided portrayal of the conflict in Sri Lanka, where 33 years of Tamil Tiger terrorism including over 386 suicide bomb attacks have been overlooked, only to focus on the last 3-4 months of the 35 monthƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ military operation launched by the Sri Lankan authorities to neutralize and eliminate the terrorist forces.
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Channel 4 was not present on the ground, nor were the rights groups any where near the battle field in Sri Lanka. However, these very same rights groups have written reports running into hundreds of pages based on hearsay coming from prejudiced sources, which needed to be translated from Tamil to EnglishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ leaving room forƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the added spin of the translator. Channel 4 and the rights groups came up with baselessƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ guesstimates of civilian casualties and a string of unsubstantiated allegations. The much hyped extra-judicial killings shown in the Channel 4 video has been shown to be a doctored one of LTTE men dressed in Sri Lankan Army uniforms killing captured Sri Lankan security forces personnel or Tamil dissidents, or a staged video done with the intention of framing the Sri Lankan authorities.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Furthermore, one of the narrators of a segment of the video was one Vany Kumar who was an LTTE activist from the UK, whilst yet another woman who was described as a Tamil journalist working for the LTTE was in fact a trained military cadre holding the rank of Lt. Colonel.
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The descrepancies in theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ main segment relating to the extra-judicial killingsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ has been questioned by video technology experts.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It has been filmed with a video camera and not a mobile phone as claimed by Channel 4, and subsequently digitally altered with more than one video layer being present. The Sinhala sounds have been later dubbed,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ whilst 17 frames are not synchronized with the rest, and the date inscribedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ on the video isƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 2009-07-15 which is after the conclusion of the military operation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In fact a second video has been found where the gunmen speak clear Tamil words which are directlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ related to the actionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ taking place, making it more than likely that the perpetrators are Tamil Tiger cadres masquerading as Sri Lanka Army soldiers.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
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A.A. Gill writing in the Sunday Times of UK has stated that: ” The channel has accumulated a large collection of samizdat amateur footage from mobile phones and video cameras – mostly un-attributed and uncorroborated. It mixes this footage with comment from unnamed sources with distorted voices and shadowed faces and human rights lawyers. It was brutal, it was shocking, but it wasn’t journalism.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Not a second of this has been shot by Channel 4; none of the eyewitness accounts comes from journalists.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
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If you are to even consider this Channel 4 video, it is likely to damage the reputation of the Nobel Foundation.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I trust you would give this highly questionable and one sided video the ‘rejectionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ notice’ which it richly deserves.
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Yours sincerely,
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Mahinda Gunasekera
84 Tambrook Drive
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Toronto, Ontario
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada M1W 3L9
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ February 26, 2012
By E-mail
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February 26th, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Like God siva has Posinious Snake around his neck.
Tamil Terrorism also rounded and keep the world with them.
We Sri Lankans must be aware of our shadow also.