Showing posts with label Killing Fields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Killing Fields. Show all posts
Channel 4 had to face an organized campaign against it originating from the Sri Lankan ministry
Speaking to the Lords communications committee on the impact of PR companies on television current affairs, Ms. Byrne said that this was something "not just us but the whole of society needs to be aware of," The Guardian reported Wednesday.
The Lords committee was holding an inquiry into the future of investigative journalism.
Commenting, Tamil diaspora activists in London said that what was known on the international operations of Sri Lanka’s State terrorism is only a tip of the iceberg.
“We have friends,” Mahinda Rajapaksa said when the UN panel report on Sri Lanka’s war crimes advocated international investigations.
What is the ultimate source of funds and strength for Sri Lanka to unashamedly uphold genocide as a justifiable international paradigm to answer a national question and unabatedly continue structural genocide after the war, has to be investigated and brought to light by international media seeking justice to human civilisation, the diaspora activists said.
On the question of Eezham Tamils, the international media for long failed to differentiate and justify the spontaneous voice of the people long suffering State genocide from the deceptive campaign orchestrated by not only Genocidal Sri Lanka but also by a group of over 30 abetting Establishments.
The international media now needs a focussed political and ideological orientation to compensate and to eliminate the Frankenstein Monster, the diaspora activists further said.
An interesting but dangerous reality revealed through the testimonies of Channel 4’s Byrne and Panorama’s John Ware to the Lords committee was that countering the malicious and orchestrated campaigns were costlier to investigative journalism than researching on truth or even choosing not to tell the truth.
According to John Ware, the cost of dealing with a concerted campaign of complaints about a recent edition of BBC1's Panorama was more than it cost to make the programme itself.
"A recent Panorama was cleared in almost every respect save for some minor matters. I'm pretty sure the bill for that was significantly more than the actual transmission itself," he said, adding:
"That's fine – it's a public service broadcaster – but what I'm saying is there aren't the funds, the resources, to deal with the aftercare and the aftercare is getting greater because of the lobby groups."
"I hope we are still pretty rigorous in facing it off where it needs to be faced off. But there is an increasing amount of spin, PR, and people who are very clever at … stopping us putting material out," John ware revealed the realities.
Talking on the point, Byrne said: "If we are doing a really big investigation that could take six months to a year … We have to be ready that we could be living with an investigation for a year after it has gone out.”
"Stories have appeared, for example, about our Sri Lankan investigation all over the world in a highly organised way," she told the committee.
"They appear to be normal stories and they are not – they are obviously coming from somewhere. Demonstrations have taken place in the street – there was one outside Channel 4 – and this demonstration had been organised by the Sri Lankan ministry of defence," she further said.
BBC or any other international media were neither moved by genuine and spontaneous demonstrations of the affected people nor were put into ‘cost’ concerns when they were silent on the genocide while it was taking place.
But now, when they choose to reveal a little of the genocidal phenomenon in the island the cost of facing Establishment’s orchestrated opposition is higher than researching and telling the truth. This is the real danger journalism face today.
Responding to Amnesty International on their recently released report critiquing the LLRC
 The Sri Lanka delegation in Geneva strongly refuted the assertion by Amnesty International that the LLRC was not mandated for accountability. |
Responding to Amnesty International on their recently released report critiquing the LLRC, the former Attorney General and Senior Advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers Mohan Pieris noted that any critique and "pre-judgement of the process before its completion is superfluous and unacceptable". He elaborated on the "broad mandate" accorded to the LLRC, structured on the concept of restorative justice. The former AG made these observations at a side event titled "Sri Lanka - Humanitarian Operation: A Factual Analysis", organized on the margins of the HRC in Geneva by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva on September 12. Briefing the attendees on the termination of emergency regulations promulgated under the Public Security Ordinance in 2005, Mohan Pieris noted that the said regulations were implemented in the past to deal with an extraordinary situation related to the need to protect the country and its people from terrorist forces. He further observed that the emergency regulations have presently been terminated in their entirety given the incremental process of normalisation in the country. He said that as early as May 2010, the Sri Lanka Government reduced the scope of the Emergency Regulations in keeping with improvements in the ground situation. Several developing countries endorsed the above position. They noted that Sri Lanka's domestic reconciliation process should be supported by the international community and no action including pre-judgement of the process, should be undertaken by any party or parties prior to completion of the LLRC's mandate. They also commended Sri Lanka for the humanitarian operation conducted to protect civilians from terrorism, and remarked upon the significant progress in resettlement and rehabilitation achieved in the aftermath of the conflict. Government Agent /Jaffna Ms. Imelda Sukumar in responding to queries on the situation in Jaffna elaborated on the resettlement of people including in the former High Security Zones, progress with regard to demining and restoration of livelihoods of the people including in the fisheries sector. She also referred to the rapid return to normalcy of the Jaffna district. Speaking at the occasion Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said: "Sri Lanka should be given the time and space required to complete the LLRC process, and the international community must take due cognizance of significant progress achieved by Sri Lanka in rehabilitation and resettlement of IDPs, economic development of the North and the East, demining activities and in the reconciliation process". observed Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Plantation Industries and Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights, who led the Sri Lanka delegation to The Sri Lanka delegation at the side event provided a succinct analysis of the post-conflict developments in the country, and briefed participants on progress in the legislative front such as the termination of emergency regulations and the adoption of the National Action Plan for Human Rights by the Cabinet of Ministers. The film "Lies Agreed Upon" refuting the allegations leveled against the Sri Lanka Government in the Channel 4 film entitled "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" and highlighting its inaccuracies and inconsistencies was also shown. The President of the Maldives H.E. Mohamed Nasheed speaking at the event urged the support of the international community for the reconciliation process in Sri Lanka. He noted that all Sri Lankans were affected by the conflict, and strongly welcomed the efforts made by the Sri Lanka Government towards speedy resettlement and rehabilitation of communities and towards development of the conflict-effected areas following the onset of peace. Following the broadcast of the "Lies Agreed Upon" video, participants acknowledged that events can be presented in different ways and may not necessarily be true. A cross section of member countries of the Human Rights Council, INGOs and civil society organizations participated in the side event. They appreciated the opportunity provided for a very frank exchange of views on developments in Sri Lanka, and expressed the hope that further briefings may be provided via similar events organized on the sidelines of the forthcoming sessions of the HRC. The participants were given copies of information material on Sri Lanka including copies of the "Lies Agreed Upon" DVD, the publications entitled "Humanitarian Operation Factual Analysis July 2006 - May 2009" and "Sri Lanka: The Emerging Wonder of Asia" published by the Ministries of Defence and Economic Development respectively, as well as material produced by the Ministry of External Affairs, at the Forum. They were also directed to the relevant websites with regard to information available in the public domain on the LLRC process, and other legislative enactments. The other members of the Sri Lanka delegation comprised Minister of Irrigation & Water Resources Management, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister of Environment, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative /Ambassador to the UN Tamara Kunanayakam, Senior Advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers Mohan Pieris, Secretary/Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security for the Northern Province Mr. S.B. Divaratna, Government Agent/Jaffna Ms. Imelda Sukumar, and Addl. Government Analyst W.D.G.D. Gunatilleke. |
Channel 4′s Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields was ‘shock’ !!!!!!!!!!!
• Documentary reveals new video evidence of executions
• Sri Lanka authorities again insist video was ‘fake’
