01/09/2009 / sri lanka
All we can say about the
video is that the source says it was filmed in January, and the soldiers speak
with a Singhalese accent. We cannot give any further details because the person
who gave it to us - an extremely reliable contact that we've known for a very
long time - still lives in Sri
Lanka. Seeing as 34 journalists have been
killed in the past four years, I don't think 35 would make much difference to
the authorities.
“Horrendous” mobile footage of Tamil executions
A UN expert has called for an investigation into mobile phone footage of what appears to be Tamil civilians, hands bound and stripped naked, being shot dead by Sri Lankan soldiers.
The images are thought to have been filmed during the final stages of Sri Lanka's quarter century battle against separatist activists Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The bloody conflict, which claimed over 8,000 lives in 2009 according to unofficial UN figures, came to an end in May following a final military push and the subsequent death of Tamil leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.
Warning, these images may be found very upsetting.
The video was released on August 25 by Europe-based activists "Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka" (JDSL), a group of majority Sinhalese, but also Tamil, exiled Sri Lankan journalists. They said it had been filmed in January, but were unable to release further details in order to protect their sources.
Two days later, on August 27, the army responded to the footage by saying it was fake, staged by members of the Tamil Tigers, and that the JDSL was a "front" to the group. The following day however, UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, urged an independent investigation into the video, calling it "horrendous".
On Monday, the Sri Lankan army again responded by reporting that, after investigating the video further, they were able to confirm it was staged, and suggested that it was probably Tiger members killing abducted soldiers rather than vice versa. Verifying the footage is almost impossible, due to the media blackout placed in the region during the conflict.
Contributors
“If the video were doctored then it [...] could be proved technically”
X, who wished to remain anonymnous, is a member of Europe-based activists Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, the group that released the video. He says he spent 17 years working for Singhalese publications before being exiled, along with dozens of others, for reporting "wrongly" on the war against the Tamils.
All we can say about the
video is that the source says it was filmed in January, and the soldiers speak
with a Singhalese accent. We cannot give any further details because the person
who gave it to us - an extremely reliable contact that we've known for a very
long time - still lives in Sri
Lanka. Seeing as 34 journalists have been
killed in the past four years, I don't think 35 would make much difference to
the authorities.
If it were false we would not have taken the risk of putting our name on it. The government says that it can't be real because the soldiers have long hair and are not wearing badges; and the Tamils have short hair. Well I can show you plenty of photos of soldiers with long hair and no badges! And do they seriously believe that no Tamil civilian has short hair?! These claims just show how helpless the government has become, how desperate their argument. If the video were doctored, then it means we would have inserted the audio after, and that is something which could be proved technically. We can't do it ourselves because it would be an expensive procedure, but the government could. Why don't they?
Why it was filmed, we can't be sure. But in the past 30 years and especially during the 1990s, taking photos of detained alleged LTTE members seems to have become quite popular with the Sri Lankan army. Their favourites are women, stripped naked after they've been killed.
The UN already knows what's going on in Sri Lanka, which is why they're so confident in their accusations. We are hoping there'll be an independent investigation. But considering our past experiences, we're not very optimistic."
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Comments
FAKE EXPOSED: HERE IS THE ORIGINAL VIDEO SHOWING DIALOG IN TAMIL
Submitted by Axel (not verified) on Tue, 15/09/2009 - 10:40.Here is the original video of the Channel 4 with the dialogue in Tamil showing the actual shootings with the sound and action being coordinated without delay/errors. This is the pre-dubbed version.
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http://www.sri-lanka-almanac.com/sri_lanka_almanac_tamil_tiger_ltte_terr...
Unregistered user
RE propaganda
Submitted by no BS (not verified) on Tue, 15/09/2009 - 13:00.I don't get, it, sounds the same to me: like Sri Lanakan genocide of Tamils. No matter how hard you try; you SL authorities will never cover up what you did to those people.
Unregistered user
sounds the same to me??
Submitted by Axel (not verified) on Tue, 15/09/2009 - 18:49.sounds the same to me?? Exactly like any one in Asia cannot make the difference between smith or schmidt, but its a huge difference. this video proves that the LTTE Murdered Their own Tamil people who so called they were ment to be fighting for.. They have no regard for any persons no matter what.. when they doctor videos in order to gain and cover up their own crimes that speaks volumes to whom the Mark of Guilt false on. May be Europeans learn to make a distingushing between Truth and Falsehood,
Unregistered user
FAKE VIDEO PROVED BY EXPERTS .......USA
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 08/09/2009 - 19:51.Video Proved to be a fake by experts who has carried out detaled analysis and show results.... Please see alll Technical analysis carried out.. With sound editing conducted.. USA analysis has concurred with results.. and Voices concersns how could a news agency carry out such a video with out even a pliminary analysis.. They also said it is unthinkable for a news agency to compromise its credibility for theatrical drama......
http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=5157
Channel 4 yet respond.....
Unregistered user
This Rajapakse regime is
Submitted by Rajapakse regime's genocide (not verified) on Mon, 07/09/2009 - 17:35.This Rajapakse regime is continue to commit war crimes and genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka.
If the International Community fails to stop this madness, it becomes a precedent and creating a ROGUE regime that unleash on minorities.
Unregistered user
The International community
Submitted by Justice for Victims (not verified) on Mon, 07/09/2009 - 17:30.The International community must start War crimes and Human Rights investigations without further delay.
After the defeat of the LTTE, Tamils are treated like second class citizens and in detention camps. This is clearly shows why Tamil youth took up ups as they realized that Sinhala Sri Lankan leaders are ruthless, inhuman and barbaric.
Now the world is winessing the barbaric behaviour of the Sinhala state forces. That's why foreign Journalists, NGOs, UN and diplomats are still denied free access to Tamils and Tamil areas.
Unregistered user
TECHNICAL ANALYST EXPOSES FAKE VIDEO- EXCLUSIVE gutter journalis
Submitted by sammy (not verified) on Fri, 04/09/2009 - 11:43.Since original video is from AVI and QuickTime format, the whole video scenario indicates that ORIGINAL video is of high quality that came from a video camera source since mobile formats does not use AVI or Quicktime which are high quality video formats.
camcorder video was transferred to a computer for editing and sound was dubbed later and gun shots were not in synchronism with the video and normally audio is always way ahead of the video since video processing takes time and in this case the audio is very late INDICATING a very amateurish video and audio editing...... More with detiled technical report...
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090903_05
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090903_04
Unregistered user
Sri Lanka Execution Video
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 02/09/2009 - 03:03.This is a most horrendous and disgraceful trophy video that is reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib photos. It is high time that an international investigation be conducted and the authors, intellectual and material, be pursued till the ends of the earth. There can be no place for this type of behaviour no matter where on earth it occurs.
Unregistered user
"reminiscent of the Abu
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 02/09/2009 - 04:40."reminiscent of the Abu Ghraib photos."
Really? ppl were being shot in the head in the "Abu Ghraib" photos?
Hateful ignorance sucks...
Unregistered user
Sri Lankan Sinhala soldiers execute Tamil prisoner-of-war.
Submitted by Kenneth T. Tellis (not verified) on Tue, 01/09/2009 - 20:46.So what is new about Sri Lankan soldiers executing Tamil prisoners? This has been a standard policy of the Sri Lankan Army since 1958. Of course no reporters, whether Sri Lankan or foreign are permitted to visit areas where summary executions by the Sri Lankan Army are taking place. After all the Sri Lankan Army has a lot to hide, and allowing reporters in would expose these barbaric actions to the whole world.
The United Nations has not been able to get past the Sri Lankan government's genocide, so who can expect them to bring resolute action against Sri Lanka? It might seem like a joke, but this is wholesale murder being perpetrated like that in South Vietnam during U.S. untervention there.
The Sri Lankan Government must be brought before the War Crimes Court at The Hague in Holland for its atrocities against Tamil civilians. There must be a come back to those who flout Intrnational Law. So let us get on with the job and try the Sri Lankan beasts that carried out the atrocities of rape and murder.
Unregistered user
"it might seem like a joke,
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 02/09/2009 - 04:37."it might seem like a joke, but this is wholesale murder being perpetrated like that in South Vietnam during U.S. untervention there."
A joke? no your anti Americanism is disgusting and shameless.
I guess youve never seen any of the American cemeteries all over France?
A more applicable statement would be ...
"but this is wholesale murder being perpetrated like that in France during Nazi intervention there."
Or how about
"but this is wholesale murder being perpetrated like that in Poland during Russian intervention there."
yeah that makes sense too,heres the France24 article to read up on it.. http://www.france24.com/en/20090901-european-leaders-70-years-gdansk-inv...
Seems I recall some Russian (wholesale murder being perpetrated)!
Hateful ignorance sucks..
Unregistered user
this is wholesale murder
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Tue, 01/09/2009 - 21:27.this is wholesale murder being perpetrated like that in South Vietnam during U.S. untervention there.
yes the Viet Cong were ruthless,much worse than what is seen in this video
Unregistered user
this reminds me of gaza
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 02/09/2009 - 13:21.im afraid of the trend that has arisen within the world system that we have a double standard in everything we happen to 'believe' in. i agree it looks like vietnam, it also reminds me of afghanistan, of iraq, of gaza; dont misquote me, but this happens only when approved or at lest allowed by the US and their allies. in this case all that will eminate from this is 'international condemnation' and 'world leaders' outrage' but no real action and yet wth iran, korea and zimbabwe, little 'sins' were met with 'severe' punishment, kinda like using a slegdhammer to kill a fly
Unregistered user
"allowed by the US and their
Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 02/09/2009 - 14:39."allowed by the US and their allies."
You dont get out much do you?
Unregistered user