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Visakhapatnam

LONDON, June 15, 2011

Calls for probe after Channel 4 film on Sri Lanka

Hasan Suroor

A Channel 4 documentary on Sri Lanka’s 2009 military operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has prompted renewed calls for an independent investigation into allegations of violations of international law by both sides.

The 60-minute documentary, “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields,” screened on Tuesday showed what the channel claimed was previously unseen footage of alleged atrocities against civilians in the final weeks of the operation which ended in the defeat of the LTTE.

It depicted scenes of what purported to be extrajudicial killings. Men in military uniform were shown executing persons described as captured LTTE militants. It also showed alleged abuses carried out by the LTTE.

Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry described the footage as fabricated and said the film was intended to discredit the army.

British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said he was “shocked by the horrific scenes.”

“The recent U.N. Panel of Experts’ report, this documentary and previously authenticated Channel 4 footage, constitute convincing evidence of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. The whole of the international community will expect the Sri Lankans to give a serious and full response to this evidence,” he said.

Father S.J. Emmanuel, President of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF), said it had “awakened the international community to the truths of how brutal this particular armed conflict had been.” The Forum’s official spokesman Suren Surendiran called for “an international independent investigation into allegations of breaches of international law by both sides.”

Keywords: LTTE, Eelam war, Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil Eelam, war footages


Comments:

An extremely graphic programme which only seemed to represent one side of the war. I felt the programme incited more anger than helped attain anything constructive.

from:  Rob Jones

Posted on: Jun 16, 2011 at 04:00 IST

Tamils are demanding an independent international war crimes and human rights investigation. The Sri Lankan regime with the collaboration of the Congress led Indian regime is involved in a malicious and false propaganda against Tamils. The world is fully aware of the blackout of news as no access to the Media, journalists, NGOs, Human rights groups and others to Tamil areas and to collect independent information.

from:  Shiva

Posted on: Jun 16, 2011 at 04:15 IST