Sri Lanka's civil war killed up to 100,000 people and displaced thousands © Amnesty International
By José Luis Díaz, Head of Amnesty International’s United Nations Office
As we prepared for the screening today of the Channel 4 film, “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” at Amnesty International’s United Nations office in New York, our main worry was the size of the turnout.
We had already seen the cancellation of a separate screening for the media at UN headquarters because it would have clashed with the UN General Assembly vote – decided only a few days ago – giving Ban Ki-moon a second term as Secretary-General.
The fairly sizeable audience that eventually made it to the screening was surely not expecting to learn much that was new: the events at the end of the war in Sri Lanka in 2009 have been well documented, and the documentary was broadcast in the UK last week before being put on the web.
Still, no one is really prepared for the gruesome, heartrending and nearly unbearable images, captured by victims and sometimes by perpetrators, of civilians under deliberate attack and summary executions.
The film shocks you into silence. And so it was today: during the screening there was hardly a sound from the audience of diplomats, journalists and human rights workers, not even the otherwise ubiquitous pecking on smart phone keys.
The only noise came from the scribbling of the Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN and his deputy, who took notes in order to respond to the film.
Dr Palitha Kohona and Major General Shavendra Silva headed a 15-member Sri Lankan delegation to the screening. Silva is featured in the film, because in 2009 he headed the Sri Lankan army’s 58th Division, accused, among other things, of executing LTTE leaders attempting to surrender.
Their defence of the government was curious. In essence, they maintained that if the international community has done almost nothing to establish accountability in Sri Lanka – unlike the case of Sudan or Libya – it is because nothing untoward has happened there. But, as the saying goes, facts are stubborn things, including those recorded by mobile phone video cameras and detailed in reports by the United Nations, Amnesty International and others.
Even Kohona was forced to admit that in part, saying, during the discussion after the screening, that the film seemed to show some violations that would be looked at. A small concession, perhaps, but one that needs to be seen in the context of decades of basically sham national commissions of inquiry and “lessons learned” panels.
Meanwhile, as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon begins his second term our hope is that he stops sitting on a report drafted by experts he appointed and governments strongly back their call for an international investigation into the outrages perpetrated two years ago in Sri Lanka.
Read more:
Sri Lanka: Confronting the Killing Fields (Blog, 15 June 2011)
Q&A: Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields (Q&A, 14 June 2011)
’some violations that would be looked at’? The country deliberately kept all international monitoring agencies out and then started the most gruesome attack. They are on par with the Assyrian and Roman empires known for their torturing and killing. just because the international community didn’t take any action does not mean Srilanka is innocent. This single episode of pre-meditated, ethnic cleansing by a government on its own citizens just to reiterate their supremacy over innocent tamilians sets back our civilization by several hundred years
whats wrong with you people…let us live our life …& how much money you get from tamils ?
Look its a civil war with world ruthless terrorist organization. This war is to safeguard all civilians and not killing Tamils. When there is a war people get killed that is the truth. You western powers allowed LTTE to collect money and help them recruiting children to their force and now screaming about army killed civilians. Its not true the Sri Lankan army saved all the civilians including Sinhalese and Tamils.
Sri Lanka is NOT Sudan or Libya. Sri Lanka forced to have war with terrorists due to cruelty and brutality of terrorism and it came with 90% peoples mandated. UN cant do anything. UN cannot take sides like Tamils a good people We Sri Lankans know how bad it was when we had brutal war bus bombs train bombs, bombs in School buses. Do you know how many killed ? why do you guys only care about Tamils ? Do you know how many times LTTE walk away from peace talks ? they wanted a war that is why they walked away from peace talks and bombed a bus.
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The very real evidence in Srilanka’s emphasis on aligning with states with equally deplorable human rights record shows their position of respect twords humanity. Futhermore to boast of a military sucess rather than accepting possibility of Tamil deaths is a clear example of their value of a tamil life and its insignificance on the island nation. UN has already paved way for rouge states to make a mockery of its existance, the question remains how low the bar has been reduced to futher destabilise its function and respect by the very people who are able to differenciate between what is a blatant crime of the most henious nature and what is not.
I myself am fully behind any action that Amnesty can take to bring international attention to these shocking violations of human rights.
i couldnt disagree with Tony more. Yes we should be concerned with the sovereignty of our own country, but as more civilised countries we have a duty to respond to the welfair of theese civilians. Im not sure where tony is from, but im from Britain, and i know Sri Lanka was once a key crown colony. And one of the reason why we prospered so much, is due to the hard working ethnic groups like the tamils. who would worked back breaking jobs, like that in the tea plantations. So tony should really know his facts before he talks
UN is mandated to R2P. Ignore Rajapakse, swindled Tsunami money is used by him to buy some commentators
Have the proof that SL government comitted war crimes….Please take action, please bring them to justice. Or else more of this will happen in the world.
Fool seems to be a real fool! When talking talk about the reality,its origin,SINGALA ONLY.
UN wouldn’t be UN if it take any action, especially under Mr Ban Ki-Moon . This documentary clearly shows who the real terrorist are. This is what Sri Lankan repressive Goverment’s said all these time “terrorism”. Only Minorities in that country know who commit act of terrorism and it shows there in the channel 4 documentary. Hats Off CHANNEL 4. You did really great job for man kind and it’s human rights record.
the above comments are rasist and biased. how can the rasist sinhalese justify the raping and killing of babies and women for continuously morethan 12 months hitting hospitals 70 time and letting 300 000 people die in nasist camp
This TV documentary has indeed showed the other side of Srilanka. After seeing this programme me and few of my friends have cancelled Holiday in srilanka, until the war criminal Rajapase is brought to justice.
Only other option restart a new rebel group to eliminate government forces(period).
We the Sinhalese do not have any other country to call it home. Tamils have a dozens. Let them get out wherever they pleased. Rajapakse did a good job and no one can touch him. Thanks to Chinese and Russia.
Sri Lanka being a member of the UN was duty bound to follow certain rules and conventions. Sri Lanka was also supported by the international community due to being a state that was expected to follow these conventions.
Sri Lakna did not kill the civilians by mistake, the civilians were in fact asked to go to no fire zones and
then people there were bombed and killed. This was premeditated murder in mass scale.
i am a tamil who had withnessed the civil war at first hand like many thousands tamil diaspora ,what srilankankan government have been committing in srilanka is genocide against tamil people. if the war is investigated by international community the conclusion would be srilankan government wanted to kill half a million tamils in vanni , it had prepared the ground work for mass murder by kick out UN and foreign media , telling the world there are only 60,000 people traped. the aim was to finish all tamils there. it ordered people to go to safe zone and shell that zone. it is same story of what we had experiance it drop leaflet asking people to go to a near by temple/school and bomb the temple.
if the international community failed to investigate the mass murder of 150,000 people ,even though Channel 4 says only 40,000 people have died , then what happend to 149,900 people that are unaccounted for. Ban Ki moon’s right hand man Vijay nambiyar brother Satish Nambiyar is a paid consultant of srilankan army. he received undisclosed sums of funds from srilankan government this explains why Ban Ki Moon is hesitate to investigate this mass murder of 150,000 people.
That’s why the entire world is screaming for an Independent International Investigation in to the conduct of, both parties to the conflict.
Which part of this demand do you not understand? YOU FOOL!
Sri Lanka is a murderous state who killed so many innocent Tamils. They think that lying will let them hide from war crimes. LET JUSTICE BE brought to innocent victims. THey killed 40 000 Tamils in less than 1 month. Thank you to Channel 4 and Amnesty for raising awareness for the voiceless. Sri Lankan government committed genocide and must be arrested by the International Criminal Courts!
Well done Ch-4 and Amnesty International for bringing up the genicide happened in Sri Lanka. This is what Sri Lanka expectes that they could kill as much Tamils they want but world should not ask any questions.As a third world country all Europian countries and USA should help them by giving money through IMF but should not ask any question for the genocide against to Tamils. A week back Tamil MP’s were brutally attacked by Sri Lankan army in a public meeting. They all elected Tamil parliment MP’s. World should not ask any questions against it. But whenever Sri Lanka beg for money world should help them. There are so many thinsg and murders still happening in Tamil areas by army personna. It will not come alight because the whole Tamil area is circled by army camp and news cannot reach the world. Tamil people were threatned against it. As Tnoy said”whats wrong with you people…let us live our life …& how much money you get from tamils ?”. This is ajoke. Tamils are not leiving peacefully. All Tamils need answer to the genocide carried out by Sri Lankan Govt.
Imagine the world with Hitler, Sudam, Binladen and Gadaffi……We all know what they did to us…..Same action should be taken to Sri Lanka….whoever committed crimes against humanity should be punished for better world and bright future to all.
Thank you AI for standing with Tamils. SL government has been following the genocidal policy since the independence in 1948. The systematically suppressing the Tamil people by making SL as Sinhala language only country and started violent suppression of Tamil political leaders who were protesting in Gandhian way (ahimsa). That caused the leader Selvanagayam to go to people for their approval for separate Tamil Eelam and Tamil people overwhelmingly voted for the separation. But later agreements signed with Tamil leaders were thrown to trash by the successive Sinhala leaders. And this caused the youth to take up arms and armed struggled went for 30 years. Now SL continues the genocidal policy after burning the Jaffna library, which contained 1000s old valuable manuscripts. Tamil language is being destroyed by imposing Sinhala in schools. Tamil population is being deprived with development and livelihood. Tamil education is being deprived. Now Sinhala forces are occupying Tamil home land and colonizing with Sinhala people. This clearly a genocide. The world will wake up and send Rajapakse brothers to jail. Tamil people will get justice and achieve their goal of an independent Tamil country.
Fool,
“When there is a war people get killed that is the truth” – I agree. But in the war should not target the hospitals, torture the surrendered civilians or your enemies (tigers), rape the women. It all happened in Sri Lanka. Worst part of all is that sinhala government keeps saying there was “0″ civilians killed in the war.
One more thing, why is North Eastern Sri Lanka still heavily militarized even 2 years after the annihilation of LTTE.
This is genoside…UN need to take action now. there is still tamils in sri lanka being systematically wiped out. at least save them from being murdered.
The credibility of UN is at stake. Will Mr. Ki-Moon act?
Bring war criminals to international court. Impose economic sanction against Srilanka. Good job Channel4
UN must act now. Mr. Ban Ki moon must act now. there is no any response from sri lanka govt. that mean they are hiding true. pple know true what was happen in sl last war days. llrc is eyes wash penal by def sec. mr. kothapaya rajapakash. its not standard. must need international investigation.
Whoever did it, killing, raping, killing babies and other human rights violations shown in the documentary have to be thoroughly investigated by the international courts and the criminals have to be punished appropriately. Ban Ki Moon has to start the process now. His chief of staff’s role has also to be investigated and he should leave the office now.
Mr/Mrs/Ms Fool is real fool. if you ask tamils they will say who saved their life. Tamils lost 200,000 lifes in a year. So the world should take an action against srilanka
Killing and raping combatants surrendered or captured is war crime, even if they are “terrorists”.
I have witnessed war first-hand, and it still hasn’t changed a bit for the Tamils after the elimination of LTTE. The underlying problem, still exist among these two communities. One feels they’re superior to other ethnic groups, Sinhalese off course. There are 3 types of Tamil communities on the island, but they all faced the same wrath. I bet majority of the Sinhala population and politicians didn’t know that there are 3 different Tamil communities; Moors, Estate Tamils (aka Coolies) and Jaffna Tamils. Jaffna Tamils are the oldest on the island, and their Tamil is mix of Portuguese and Dutch words. The other 2 Tamil communities are fairly new to the island, Moors are Muslims came as traders and Estate Tamils were brought in by Brits to work on the Tea estates both of their dialects resembles Tamils of India. I hope this clarifies the different Tamil communities in Sri Lanka. If Sri Lanka wants all these negative exposures to go away, they can simply ask for UN to investigate and clear their name if they seriously consider these evidences are to be doctored.
Tony: I presume this is an assumed name. Answer to your question is minuscule amount when you compare the Government is spending on lobbyists & in media manipulation.
Fool: When you yourself call yourself such, I have no argument with you.
Now having dealt with Tony the phony & the self confessed fool, I yell out to the world, it is clear horrible things have been committed by all sides. Galileo said “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” We with the rational mind should push for a inquiry by an international body who will tell if all that was reported is nothing but the truth or otherwise.
Mao Zedong was a great spokesman for guerilla tactics. “The guerilla,” he wrote, “must move among people as a fish swims in the sea.” He said guerilla tactics are what “a nation inferior in arms and military equipment may employ against a more powerful transgressor.” On guerilla tactics themselves, he wrote:. “They consist mainly of the following points: Divide our forces to arouse the masses, concentrate our forces to deal with the enemy…Arouse the largest number of the masses in the shortest possible time.”
Does this sound familiar?
What makes me sad? Banki-moon’s statement that the SL govt must agree for an international investigation on war crimes and crimes against humanity. Where in the world a criminal would give authorities the required permission to put him under investigation? Banki-moon must be joking.
What makes me mad? The same Banki-moon has decided to bomb Libya without permission from Libya in the name to protect civilians after a very few rape, torture and murders in comparison to what happened in SL. So what is the criteia of UN’s R2P? Mass rapes, torture and murder of civilians AND OIL under the ground?
Irrespective of who have written their commnets, the reality is, history says that Tamils lived in IIlam old name for Ceylon long enough. So do not be a fool by saying there is no place for Sinhala people to go. It is just like asking the Austrians to vacate their country and live in Germany. What an idiotic argument. If the Sinhala people cannot accept in the killing fields, it their problem. All those who were involved on the killing of Tamil people must be brought to justice. Any other argument shall not be accepted. Why not you Sinhala people change your beatiful religion. May be to Aethist or Islam. You Sinhala perperators cannot rest in peace and we will fight for justice.
At the question session Major General Shavendra Silva explained the fake and fabricated images and footages in the film. Also he revealed the two main so called main witnesses of the film , one medical doctor and the Tamil girl who is an UK resident were telling untruth. Once the war was over the medical doctor in the film has told the media that he was forced by LTTE to give such comments. But this film use them as evidence. Amnesty International , Channel 4 and few other NGO’s taking this issue to earn their supper. This campaign will be over with the remaining funds of LTTE terrorists in EU and Canada . Then Amnesty International and Channel 4 have to find another source to survive. No one stage film festival for those who killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because there is no one to fund.
This is not about Tamils, Sinhalese or the LTTE, but it is about serious crimes committed against humanity. Amnesty International, Human rights Watch, Channel 4 and other organizations should be applauded for their efforts and for standing up for the basic human rights of every human being under the difficult circumstances where there were no witnesses allowed to remain in the “Killing Fields” by the GOSL: Right to life with dignity and freedom of expression.
There is no doubt that LTTE used terrorist tactics in its campaign mostly to protect Tamil civilians against State terrorism of Sri Lanka and on other times at the will of the leadership. Although at the early days, LTTE targeted only the occupying military oppressors and mostly the Tamils who helped to hide the injustices to their own community in exchange for personal gain (so called “Ettappans”), it became more and more blurred as the conflict grew out of control. In the later days, the LTTE attacked financial hubs causing collateral damage where both Sinhalese and Tamils got killed, they suppressed dissent among Tamils (even if they were their own cadres), attacked Sinhala colonizers of the Tamil homeland to deter them or at times as a revenge attack (e.g., when the army rounded up the people in VVT into their library and killed them, the LTTE went on a rampage into Anuradhapura. It is also noteworthy that it was the first time LTTE directly targeted the Sinhalese civilians. While I do not condone this activity of the LTTE under any circumstances, this is a historical fact. After this first incidence, everything went downhill and LTTE’s policy of not targeting Sinhalese civilians ceased to exist. GOSL should only blame themselves for making the LTTE to target their civilians).
On the other hand, Sri Lankan state was brutal in branding every Tamil as a terrorist to justify genocide. The international community and the UN should be ashamed to have allowed this to happen and it is time to bring the criminals to the international court of justice.
There is no point in preaching that there will be no more “holocaust” and no more “Rwanda” and allowing these horrific events happen in Sri Lanka. It is particularly sad when the Chinese talk about atrocities by the imperialistic Japan and the Israelis talk about the “holocaust” and support the genocidal state of Sri Lanka.
It is also sad that the so called Buddhist Sri Lankans supporting the brutality and crimes rendered onto their own citizens by their politicians and military.
Palitha Kohona himself said “LTTE was surgically removed” what a statement to defend after having seen such a terror by the military on the helpless people who are caught were caught in conflict. If this is not checked the Sinhala folks now cherishing on their victory will have another thing coming as the Govt gets used to the idea terror is the only way to solve issues. These perpetrators has to be checked an put out of their job in the security services otherwise they will keep committing such crimes against the feeble & vulnerable. Either way Sri Lanka need to address the underlying issues for sure by any standards to get back certainly not on the same track but on a progressive track.
I am disgusted. This is genocide no f****** question. This HAS to be investigated and not in a FIFA way…..
I watched these disturbing and horrific Sri Lanka ’s war crimes, crimes against humanity and systematic genocide of Tamil civilians’ footages on the above link. The cowardice, the lies, the brutality, the hate, the absolute disregard for the life of fellow human beings is hard to accept (no matter how many times we watch this) that people at the helm in Sri Lanka can inflict this amount of suffering to section of its citizens.
My only conclusion is that we are governed and managed by the current (Rajapaksas) sociopaths. Just a bunch of extremely dangerous and powerful psychopaths (psychopath: formally referred to a personality disorder characterized by the inability to form human attachment and an abnormal lack of empathy, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal). I cannot define the Sri Lankan brutal regime better than this. This documentary is NOT for those who wish to look away … and worse for those of us who cannot.
As the former UN spokesman in Sri Lanka Gordon Weiss told to Channel 4 News, your report to UN which has (referring to Channel 4 News on Sri Lanka war crimes) “credible allegations” of war crimes represent Sri Lanka ’s “Srebrenica moment”.
The authoritarian Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his regime continue with brutal oppression of section of Sri Lankan citizens in the form of rapes, murders, abductions, disappearances, attacks, and harassment.
I sincerely do hope you will press the international community including the UN for concrete action against war criminals and genocidal regime in Sri Lanka. When citizens of a country are not protected but hunted down by their own government, the U.N has an obligation to protect these people by invoking the R2P (Responsibility to Protect, the Global Citizens, a Canadian doctrine adopted by the UN in 2005) to save these global citizens who are facing extermination and genocide. It is imperative that unless Sri Lanka’s ‘war criminals’ are punished by the civilized world for their crimes against Humanity, the “Sri Lankan Model” would become a nightmare in the future for the world to comprehend.
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This is one of the video really shocked me and whole family wept. How come such a crime was not stopped by International Community. Why was this not brought up by international media at that time. It raises bigger questions on whole international mechanisms and media bias. Glad to see at least human right organizations are maintaining their integrity and keep fighting for justice. This at least helps to promote basic values in the world.
I would urge SL Govt to sue Channel 4 for tarnishing the image of my country
Clear genocide evidance,World community should wake up.
Tony: I presume this is an assumed name. Answer to your question is minuscule amount when you compare the Government is spending on lobbyists & in media manipulation.
Fool: When you yourself call yourself such, I have no argument with you.
Now having dealt with Tony the phony & the self confessed fool, I yell out to the world, it is clear horrible things have been committed by all sides. Galileo said “All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.” We with the rational mind should push for a inquiry by an international body who will tell if all that was reported is nothing but the truth or otherwise
Are people from Hela so sinful, that they called themselves Sin-Hala? I wish Buddha was there to witness this event by his followers Buddhists! I hate to think on religion lines, but when it comes to sacrificing lives, can’t think of any other thing. Of course I do know north and east has arid lands and fishing which south now very depended upon.
Thank you Channel 4 & AI for campaigning this noble cause. Only organisations like these keep the hope alive for better humanity in this world. Those who deny their brutal war crimes acts have to face one day their “beloved” great lord buddha one day if not the ICC. I hope they sleep well these days?
We are omitting one important thing. What we have seen in the channel 4 video is what is in record which is only a fraction of what actually happened. This is a war without witness. We can’t compare Sri Lanka killing fields with what happened in Rwanda, Sudan, Libya or any other places where peace keepers, UN agencies, NGOs or Medias were there. I am sure there is lot of atrocities without any record. Sri Lankan Government took all initiatives and chased UN agencies and Media away. How many journalists were murdered? Their offices were burnt down and their life threatened and there are records to proof it.
Subra
All Sri Lankans should be shame of governments conduct. Unless Colombo cooperates with UN, we face isolation.
Another desperate attempt. Gen Silva’s response highlighted the credibility (or rather the lack thereof) of Channel 4’s “star witnesses” and several blatant attempts to mislead viewers. Slowly but surely the facts are coming out.
The apologists for the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL)so far have, in these postings,revealed their true colors. They have no problems with what the GoSL has done, because it jives with what they want for this island nation. A mono-ethnic (Sinhala) and mono-religious (Buddhist) country where others have to live under this rubric. Tamils massacred in this fashion is, for them, collateral damage.
They have been at it for over sixty years, and the Channel-4 ‘evidence’ is now stuck in their throats. That does’nt, however, diminish their enthusiasm for their goal. A Mono-ethnic mono-religious Sri Lanka. Read again what they have said here.
Amnesty International has to bear some blame too. Whatever the GoSl, of different colors over the last fifty years, did to oppress and suppress the minority communities (Tamils, Muslims, Christians, etc.) the AI held the position that it is NOT IN THEIR MANDATE.
The end-result is what happened in 2009 May.
I have heart full of frustration which I can`t blog here.Suffering and death together is their fate.Srilanka they have begin for their ending.
My concern is Innocent people who die in the field , which estimated around 20000 or more,this is more disturbing than who die with so called white flag[who sent others to die with cyanide .
komagan “But in the war should not target the hospitals, torture the surrendered civilians or your enemies (tigers), rape the women. ” Other side of story is that LTTE shelled hospitals to blame Sri Lanka army. LTTE shoot their own people to blame Sri Lankans army. Tell me any verifiable incident that Army raped ?
throughout last 30years Sri Lanka was a killing field,bcoz of that ruthless terrorists. why everybody worrying once now everybody living in peace… you guys are peace haters… shame on you….. – kumar
Sri Lankan government killed more then 40,000 Tamils as per the UN officer Gorden Weiss. People around the world, including people like Stephan Harper, won the ‘war on terror’ by labelig oridenary people. Now they are screaming for Libia and started the power war. Who cares people without oil?
According to UN report, government of Sri Lanka committed war crimes. Government records show that 430,000 people were living in the Vanni in 2008. After the final days of the war, the government moved civilians into camps which held 290,000 people, according to UN statistics. The killings accounted for 40,000 people. The whereabouts of the remaining 100,000 are still not known except that a large number of people picked up in white vans simply disappeared without a trace.
I kindly request please investigate the whereabouts of the remaining 100,000 innocent Tamil people.
I read all the comments. The comments left by people who supporting srilankan government action looks not using their real name. I think they are singhalese people using Engligh name. Hey guys why cannot you all using your own name to identify yourself? Are you all afraif to the world now. You all are in a mess for what you done to the Tamils.
UN report and channel4 documentary blamed for both parties (Srilankan government/army and LTTE).Lets have an independent inquiry by UN to get all the truth behind the scene. I don’t know, why Srilankan government is not accepting an independent Un enquiry if nothing to hide
Silva is one of the perpetrators of those crimes and as such try to point the hesitating international community to take action in the UN Security Council as a reason for his and his government innocence. The decisions in UN are taken by friendly countries of the accused and not on the merit of any case. In the case of Israel US always protect her by using veto. THose countries accuse US of partial and biased unashamedly behave in the same manner.
A very big Thank You to the Army soilders who filmed these incidents and published
them (for financial gain or not) thus beginning the end of miss-rule of a Minority.
The Tourist should shun the Island with a vengeance, until a settlement is brought
about in the future.
The Truth is Amnesty International need donations, with a big donation they make sound to poor Countries. That’s why they never talk about American missions or never make any video about american wars. If you really care about Tamils or any other party, donate part of your donation to them or do a fund racing. Don’t use other peoples problem for your gain.. ;p
Any Killing of Innocent people should be condemned . But where was the Amnesty International when innocent Sinhala Villagers were killed . Where was Channel 4 when 600 unarmed police men were killed . When Bombs blasted in Colombo in the heart of the city killing innocent civilians where was Amnesty International . Not a single Sinhalese person was living in the Nothern parts of Sri Lanka but there are so many Tamils living in Wellawatte and doing thriving businesses .Being ignorant is one thing . Being delibarately distorting facts is a different thing .
Ghastly feast. The feast is too little to the race of the lion. Little enough to relish the tase and smell for centuries to come. Perhaps fit to be added to the Mahavamsa.
What happened in Sri Lanka was clearly genocide. We need immediate action. Bring all perpetrators to the justice. Let the victim minority Tamils to safeguard themselves by recognizing their self-determination.
If the SL govt is telling the truth that it has maintained a zero tolerance on civilian casualties and has not tortured and summary executed the surrendered / captured tiger rebels in inhuman ways, then there is nothing to fear for the SL govt. All it has to do is allow international investigations into war crimes and come clean.
But not allowing an investigation and continue to oppress the Tamils in postwar SL is pure evidence of oppression and paving the way for a separate state for Tamils. The disruption of TNA meeting in Jaffna is obvious sign of oppression and an attempt to subdue the only voice (TNA’s) in SL against the State and in support of the UN report / CH4 productions. It is a shame how a State is allowed in 2011 to oppress its minorities in such inhuman ways. The world should be feeling sorry in their hearts for destroying the Tamil’s only bargaining chip, LTTE, however ruthless and politically stupid it was in the post 911 era. Now, in the absence of a bargaining chip, the world has to do some heavy lifting, or continue to ignore the Tamil genocide in SL.
The humane services of human rights orgs like AI and HRW and CH4 are invaluable in a world where only oil and money matters, even for the UN. – Shame on our CNN & FOX news media too. These news orgs talks about telling the truth (AC360 / Orielly factor) but never reported anything of this sort human tragedy in SL.
Why there’s nothing mentioned in this article about Shavendra’s reply to the allegations??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuKfXwP0pGk
This is crime against humanity. GOSL should decent enough to accept the fact and take action rather than outright denying it. You can fool others once but not for ever.
The tireless efforts for organizations like Amnesty International pressured the UN head Ban Kee-Moon to appoint a pannel to investigate the last days of the war. Unfortunately for Mr. Ban, they came up with a damning report accusing the Srilankan government of war crimes. These crimes committed by a UN member country must be punished. There should be some mechanism in the world to prevent similar facist countries like Srilanka from committing mass murders in the name of suppressing minority rights.
Channel 4’s (C4’s) documentary on ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ is to start the wheels of justice moving. Establishing an independent international inquiry should be the logical and most pressing first step that needs no second thought – decidedly it should be the natural response of every civilized human being, let alone any member of the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council. The UN cannot flounder and fall short of the mandate for which it was created.
The support for AI and brave medias like channel-4 should grow to maintain law and order in the world for all, but not for the selected few countries.
I am a Sri Lankan by birth and I am 42 years old. Sinhalese and buddhist
by inheritance. My uncle is a Sri Lankan by birth. Tamil and hindu by inheritance. He is married to my mothers sister. They have three grown up children , who are also Sri Lankan. We live in the same compound in adjacent houses in a Colombo suburb. We help each other and we love each other. Yes we do. We have Sri Lankan relatives in the east , north , south and west. There is no hatred , there is mutual respect and honor as a mixed family of Sinhalese and tamils.
We have seen death and destruction in Sri Lanka for for centuries. Long before “genocide” became a word in the dictionary – as early as 1505 when Sri Lanka was invaded by the portugese and later occupied by the dutch and the british till 1948.
Yes there is documented evidence of genocide since 1505 till May 2009 inflicted by foreign parties and Sri Lankans on Sri Lankans for over 500 + years.
Yes we are guilty of war crimes like many others. Sri Lanka is at the bottom of a list of countless number of cases ( of genocide , ehtnic clensing , mass murder or what ever you like to call it ) , where the top positions are occupied by those western powers who killed an untold number of people over centuries all over the world. Bring them all to justice. We will support your efforts wholeheartedly.
Sri Lanka will defend it’s dignity the same way the our national heros ( sinhalese,tamils , muslims alike) did before and being done now by every fair minded Sri Sri Lankan regardless of religious or ethnic differences.
Let Sri Lanka live in peace finally after 500 + years. We deserve it , I am sure everyone will agree.
Everything I have written is not fiction , it is fact. Think about it are we good people who respect others at all times not matter what? Just think..
Listen to John Lennon’s song ” Imagine ” , reconcile and live in peace in the name of humanity.
I saw major general Shavendra Silva talking at the gathering in utube .. I think your reporting about it is not true … He challenged many instances of lies in the film and he was so confident it .. I encourage all of you to see that video clip in tube under major general Shavendra Silva and compare with the above reporting .. Thanks.
Those International players-Do not forget UN- who were behind this war have a moral resposibility to bring justice to those innocent peoples murders and sufferings.
This is a doctored film beutifully narrated but none of the pieces in the film would be difficult to recreate if you have a small unsophisticated viust go and watch a common tamil movie from south India and you will find much more gruesome events. This film proves nothing. More worrying is the LTTE propaganda Lobby is still collecting enough money to pay these expensive and corrupt film makers and narrators who thrive on blood money. Look at the real pictures of gruesome LTTE murders of children hacked to death.
Remember there is no Tamil Homeland. Not in Sri Lanka. We will stand-by Rajapake. He is a true hero. No Moon is too much for Sri Lanka. In this foolish fim which I see is a little more than a collection of government pulished war footages and a collection of ‘Dead Bodies” and plenty of red liquid. Why are there no footages of people being killed? Ideally produced to shock the gullible whites in to ‘action”. Why are there no videos of the hospitals being shelled but only half coverd faces being intervied by “international witnesses” who were said to be absent from the area. I agree that there are things that Amnesty Intenational is ‘going to look into”. You can look in to anything as long as you please but I dont think this film has anything credible to presecute anyone!
If the SL govt is telling the truth that it has maintained a zero tolerance on civilian casualties and has not tortured and summary executed the surrendered / captured tiger rebels in inhuman ways, then there is nothing to fear for the SL govt. All it has to do is allow international investigations into war crimes and come clean.
But not allowing an investigation and continue to oppress the Tamils in postwar SL is pure evidence of oppression and paving the way for a separate state for Tamils. The disruption of TNA meeting in Jaffna is obvious sign of oppression and an attempt to subdue the only voice (TNA’s) in SL against the State and in support of the UN report / CH4 productions. It is a shame how a State is allowed in 2011 to oppress its minorities in such inhuman ways. The world should be feeling sorry in their hearts for destroying the Tamil’s only bargaining chip, LTTE, however ruthless and politically stupid it was in the post 911 era. Now, in the absence of a bargaining chip, the world has to do some heavy lifting, or continue to ignore the Tamil genocide in SL.
The humane services of human rights orgs like AI and HRW and CH4 are invaluable in a world where only oil and money matters, even for the UN. – Shame on our CNN & FOX news media too. These news orgs talks about telling the truth (AC360 / Orielly factor) but never reported anything of this sort human tragedy in SL.
If the SL govt is telling the truth that it has maintained a zero tolerance on civilian casualties and has not tortured and summary executed the surrendered / captured tiger rebels in inhuman ways, then there is nothing to fear for the SL govt. All it has to do is allow international investigations into war crimes and come clean.
But not allowing an investigation and continue to oppress the Tamils in postwar SL is pure evidence of oppression and paving the way for a separate state for Tamils. The disruption of TNA meeting in Jaffna is obvious sign of oppression and an attempt to subdue the only voice (TNA’s) in SL against the State and in support of the UN report / CH4 productions. It is a shame how a State is allowed in 2011 to oppress its minorities in such inhuman ways. The world should be feeling sorry in their hearts for destroying the Tamil’s only bargaining chip, LTTE, however ruthless and politically stupid it was in the post 911 era. Now, in the absence of a bargaining chip, the world has to do some heavy lifting, or continue to ignore the Tamil genocide in SL. The humane services of human rights orgs like AI and HRW and CH4 are invaluable in a world where only oil and money matters, even for the UN.
Interesting!!! Some people up there talking about oppression and discrimination by Sinhalese. They live in Geramany and in UK where the kind German dont sit next to them in the train. There they happily clean the toilets and get nicely discriminated and ask the same people to deliver them justice and equality. No tamil would dare to be seen in Wembley central in UK alone after 8 PM for the fear of racists and other gangs! They are never invited to any white man’s party and here they ask the UN to deliver justice and equality and a country free of discrimination and where they are not coolies.
The only way forward is justice to the victims, both killed by the Sri Lankan government genocide and Tamils still living under occupation. The world can not ignore this genocide. The very institution that should prevent and safeguard human rights and genocide have failed. The UN secretary Ban ki Moon’s inaction which contributed to the deaths must be investigated as well.
There are many comments justifying the war crimes, largely by the Sinhala speaking majority. Well I must say I am disgusted that so many people think that it is OK to kill and rape. Its OK to shell hospitals. Its Ok to target civilians. The irony is that they claim that Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country.
We, as Sri Lankans have suffered the most brutal kind of terrorism in the last 30 years . What AI has done about it. AI was just justifying the crimes committed against us and supporting the terrorists. Just look how you so called head of AI has justified the cruel bombing by NATO to Libya. US and UK are the countries that have butchered largest number of civilians during last 10 years. Have AI talked about it ever? War victims need empathy but not your crocodile tears to grab some money over their worst sufferings. For god sake stop telling lies about our country and dame our reconciliation process . Because we need peace and don’t want war again. If you continue to do this please remember that you are doing the worlds most shameful job in the world..
this is not war against bunch of terrorists. this is Genocide of Tamils. It did not happen overnight. this is a systematic elimination of Tamil race in Sri Lanka. Western powers did not help LTTE, in contrast they helped Sri Lankan government to kill more than 140,000 Tamils within few months. Now evidence is coming to light. Thanks to Channel 4 and Amnesty International like organizations, World cannot just ignore the killing of innocent civilians in the name of War on Terror. Justice has to be found for Tamil people and stop other countries from killing innocent civilians.
Why is the UN biased in the way it handles world issues. Sri Lanka and libya compared for example. Is one life more precious than another? Or are certain groups of people dispensable? Take action.
I like to see a documentation film by channel 4 regarding LTTE activities in Sri Lanka. please can you do that? all there major activities in sri lanka? It should include Child soldier training killing own Tamil political/ civil leaders, bombing at major towns, trains, buses, mosques and killing other countries leaders(Rajiv Ghandhi)killing civilians including babys at rural villages. It will be a more interesting film, but unfortunately no LTTE money to back you people.
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This documentary is clearly one sided and biased. we the people who lived in this country for the last 30 years and experienced the barbaric brutality of the so called murderous LTTE “rebels”, they carried out the ethnic cleansing, murdered a indian prime minister ,a sri lankan president ,more than hundred political leaders-most importantly scores of tamil political leadership, thousands of innocent civilians, hundreds of monks of all religions, more than 30,000 official army personnel, recruited child soldiers, attacked temples, mosques etc., bombed buses, banks, ships, planes, ports etc.,. acquired naval & air capabilities(first as of a terrorist group in the world),had the first ever suicide squad, always tried to take successive gov.s for ride in the guise of negotiations while getting armed like never before, therefore a legitimate SL gov. compelled to take war path to safe guard its citizen. Will UK, USA tolerate 1% of terrorism that we had under gone? we saw how they reacted on one single incident 9/11, London bombings etc. this channel4 clearly acts according to the script written by LTTE’s disguise Tamil diasporas and they hadn’t had the decency or balance to have the version of the other party as the so called investigative journalism always be. I think they too should be held liable for any future terrorist acts. Will the channel4 make a documentary on war crimes alleged to have committed by the UK forces in Afghanistan? Will they portray a presenter of a terrorist of an AL; QUIDA TV channel as a journalist? Did anyone including you AMNESTY utter a word on the incident where thousands buried in the same night in BERLIN when trying to capture Hitler? We all accept it as an act to save the man kind? Don’t we? LTTE barbaric leader Prabhakaran was no match for him either. Did you Amnesty or any other so called champions utter a word when innocent people were massacred in thousands of all ethnicities by the Tamil Diaspora funded LTTE? What action these servants of the western masters did when LTTE held captive and used more than 300,000 civilians as a human shield? Why this duplicity? Weren’t they humans? Didn’t they enshrine with all those rights? What is the deference of definitions you hold over terrorism in west and the terrorism waged in sri Lanka? Don’t you people let us live peacefully? Therefore please don’t try to open up old wounds that are getting healed after a horrendous thirty years of unimaginable terror atrocities. Please come to Sri Lanka instead of working for LTTE money and see how we all ethnic groups live in harmony after the defeat of the ruthless LTTE terrorism.
You do not need to go to Jaffna, Just come to Colombo… Come see for your self how Tamils and Sinhalese live in peace.
Wars are ugly things and civilians do get hurt’
http://tamilweek.com/news-features/archives/2744
Military attack Tamil political meeting.
The Tamil Alliance’s Parliment members held at public meeting last Thursday(16/06/2011)at Tamil people area. Around 25 Srilankn soldiers in uniform entered the hall and attacked the participants with rifle butts and batons. Soliders also used poles to beat up people at the meeting.Sri lankan President militarized rule of Tamil areas.
human became animals. UN is doing nothing concrete.
I am appalled by the naivety of the So Called Top Lawyer regarding the allegations of systematic shelling of hospitals in Sri Lanka. He gravely points out that that shelling of hospitals is illegal. Unfortunately long before this fellow learned it in his law books the LTTE knew it. LTTE often used abandoned hospitals as camps and built camps in close vicinity of them. Almost all hospitals in the rebel held territory had military installations either within or in the close vicinity of hospitals. For example there was an LTTE camp almost in front of the main entrance of Batticaloa General Hospital until it later captured by PLOTE, another rival armed group. In Sri Lanka all doctors, nurses and attendents manning these hospitals are on government pay role. The government could not man many hospitals due to security concerns and hundred s of rural and district hospitals had been abandoned. During the period before the war ended many hospitals in the rebel held territory were being used by the LTTE as Military Camps. Often these hospitals had LTTE underground bunkers and trenches and were heavily armed. No civilian would have dared to seek treatment from these “Hospitals”. Unlike the Army the LTTE did not treat their casualties in Military Hospitals. They were treated in their camps with the help of LTTE ‘doctors’ either on a voluntary basis or often by force. These camps they often carried Red Cross to defend against army attacks but in fact they were heavily armed LTTE military installations.
With regard to footages the Film “Killing Fields” please note that there is not a single footage which shows a shell falling to show on hospital. The scenes are of a few people with minor non-life threatening injuries. Even the building does not look shell damaged. There is the footage of a girl showing a blood covered hand howling in pain. True it is sad. But who will believe it is shell wound? There was not one victim in that footage with limbs torn apart and sculls in pieces. If you haven’t seen what I a shell wound looks lie, look at the photos of Libyan civilian casualties due to American bombing. There is nothing in the Killing fields footage to say that these wounds are war induced. Even today, if one visits the Jaffna Hospital Surgical ward you could have made a “Genocide Movie” out of people who have suffered Road Traffic Accidents etc.
Note that the so called Rape scene of the film is not rape. It only shows a either a dead LTTE female Carder or a slain female Army soldier being loaded to an open military truck to be taken for burial. There were units in the Army to clear the casualties irrespective of the side. You cannot allow the dead bodies to rot where they die. Where in the footage was any rape?? How did the corrupt Buffoons at the Channel 4 assume that the female had been raped? The army officers in the footage are in full military gear. I couldn’t see anyone with his pants down! Both the Sri Lankan Army and LTTE employed female soldiers and every female dead body is not a rape victim. Female soldiers of the Army as well the LTTE died in thousands. Rape probably did occur as it does everywhere including the United Kingdom. However the woman being shown is not necessarily rape. She is just dead and need to be cleared before she rots.
Hundreds LTTE female carders died eating Cyanide capsules lovingly supplied by Anna Prabakaran at the time of induction to the LTTE ranks.
Remember that rape was the norm at LTTE. Contraception use was strictly prohibited and reproduction for an adequate supply of CHILD SOLDIERS was one of the key roles of LTTE females.
Hundreds LTTE female carders died eating Cyanide capsules lovingly supplied by Anna Prabakaran at the time of induction to the LTTE ranks. And the Anna Prabakaran and the rest of the entourage went to the Army asking for pardon with white flags!!!!
Viraj Hewage is an example of a good soul who wants to forget the bad and the ugly and move on. But unfortunately, it may be true for Viraj and his cousins but it is not going to bring any reconciliation for the victims of horrific war crimes committed by their own countrymen/State. Every crime against humanity should be punished for any meaningful reconciliation. There cannot be any justification for genocide and war crimes based on history or even crimes committed by the other groups (e.g., LTTE). Without punishment to deter these and other future criminals from committing similar crimes, there will be no guarantee that it will not happen again. Viraj and others like him should help to get rid of these bad apples [i.e., perpetrators of war crimes, suppressors of freedom of expression and the murderers of people (among Sinhalese and Tamils) who believe in justice for all] from the country so that everyone can live in peace and not the selected ones who are either lucky for now or support the war criminals.
im also sri lankan.. but not tamil or sinhala.. im muslim.. y u all supporting for a TERRORIST group. if sinhala people killing tamils, y dey can’t kill muslims????? there are thousands of tamil people living in colombo, y sinhala people not killing them?? there is nothing like that. dis war is NOT AGAINST INNOCENT TAMILS. this is AGAINST TERRORISM. we all SRI LANKANS.
I am sorry western people. Now you know what sort of moronic people we are dealing with in sri lanka. the cruel thing is they also claim themsleves budhists. ROFL.
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Now the Real video emerges. It is not Sri Lankan Soldiers killing tamils But LTTE Terrorist killing arrested Sri Lankan Army personnels.
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150208292415642&oid=127743420642303&comments
go and see the truth..
This channel four video is a doctored movie and very biased. I wonder why Amnesty website gives so much publication to this. Channel four has a grudge against Sri Lanka for not allowing in Sri Lanka that is why they are collaborating with terrorists to make fake movies to get some crocodile tears for Dead Tamil Tigers. Pathetic.
Time for true and justice.Who give justice? India,China,Pakistan or Russia.
I have not seen or imagine like this. After seeing this I could not take my food for two days and felt ashamed not being able to do something for these people. UN must wake up and punish Rajapakse without wasting any time and then it will show it existence.
Really sad to see no one helped these innocent people.I hope their souls will RIP and the guilt will be punished. As one reader pointed out, It shocking to see so-called followers of Buddha -some one who preached peace- killed so many people.
Reply to Janson S (22 June 2011 at 8:35 PM)
“My only conclusion is that we are governed and managed by the current (Rajapaksas) sociopaths. Just a bunch of extremely dangerous and powerful psychopaths (psychopath: formally referred to a personality disorder characterized by the inability to form human attachment and an abnormal lack of empathy, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal)”.
Dear poor Janson – You description is well suited to “LTTE’, not for Rajapaksas, honestly.
Dear Human being no matter for what reason ..whoever support here the SRI Lankan army killing Tamils..i tell you defineatly your family member will also face the same situation in your next born..
Hey ideots ..the war is between army and Tiger not tamil civilians…no worry you will born again in the same atmosphere ….world is very small..its using recycle methods.
Thank You AI and Channel 4. Many of us Tamils have friends or relatives who are victims of Sri Lanka State Terror or are victims ourselves. This ‘expose’ of the Sri Lankan State is unfortunately “too little, too late”!
Can every body use there real tamil names instead of western names they use?? Dont try to fool us.. Every body know how you tamil diaspora acts like the “international community”… Pathetic..
any fair side that claim to be clean will not say “No” to an international investigation
Sinhalese won’t aware of their mistakes….Indian at Sri Lanka please come out from the such a humanless idiotic country.Please save our next generation.GOD is watching everybody.If Buddha still alive….sure he will hang himself