UN’s special rapporteur and Britain’s Channel Four video clip on Sri Lanka
Posted on May 31st, 2011
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario. Canada
31 May 2011
The Editor
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
Sir:
You reported that Christopher Hayns, UN’s special rapporteur had said after viewing the British Channel Four video which alleged Sri Lanka troops executing Tamil Tigers, that “What is reflected in the extended video are war crimes of the highest order – definitive war crimes.”
I wish that we could come to some conclusion of this controversy by the UN accepting the challenege by Mr. Siri Hewawitharana one of the world’s leading digital video systems experts and former head of Cisco’s Global Broadcast and digital video pratice and presently the Executive Director of IPTV Systems who proved that that this footage was fake and modified and made in favour of the Tamil Tigers.
Do I conclude that by the UN not accepting this challege that they have much to lose and are up to some mischief and worried that they will be exposed as the world organization which is now bankrupt when dealing with Sri Lanka’s victorius Tamil Tiger terrorist war. This war ended militarily on 18 May 2009 after 27 years of battling witnessing 100,000 dead including two heads of state, Rajiv Gandhi of India and President Premadasa of Sri Lanka, both assassinated by the Tamil Tigers.
Asoka Weerasinghe
May 31st, 2011 at 9:10 am
I suppose people like Navi Pillai, Chris Haynes, Brad Adams and their ilk in British Channel-4, are capable of believing Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park movie as a filming of a real life situation in some corner of our beloved earth. I am also certain Tiger Leaders who manufactured this video clip are quietly laughing at these money worshiping jokers for willing to carry on with this circus just please the Tigers and their Western backers.
May 31st, 2011 at 11:32 am
Yes Sooriarachi ! These Tamil Tiger ‘our souls’ must be laughing through their ‘ our souls’ passing plenty of flatus, from their posterior, loud as ever, on their success in making the UN Suckers fall for their TAMIL TIGER TERRORISTS DOLLARS, and making the UNSG the CLOWN OF THE UN, with his retinue Navi, Chris, and Brad.
UN IS NOW THE GREAT WESTERN CIRCUS.
May 31st, 2011 at 3:46 pm
It seems amazing the the UN and western Nations such as the US, UK, France, Switzerland and sources such as the EU only look at these videos from the perspective they are being coerced into accepting for obvious reasons and on this basis one would be inclined to believe that Tamil Tiger bucks still seem to be floating around the globe towards the sole objective of discrediting the GOSL.
What with the clout of the likes of Naveen Pillai and other covert Tiger ympathisers including some in the UN panel id it at all surprising?
What is surprising is how the western countries agitating for investigations have taken the bait or is it indifference based on ignorance and apathy one wonders? The cross reference by AW to CISCO and IPTV Broadcasts seem spot on and a body blow to the UN Panel and Ban Ki Moon’s Goons!
May 31st, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Asoka, Thanks for the kind words… This 2nd extended video is analysed by a new UN appointed expert in US and his conclusion agrees with me and I have submitted report to the govt and the Attorney General yesterday…
Issue is SL Govt not taking full facts presented by me countering the argument line by line, and with the new info available video will blown out of the water finally…
If they not, I will publish it in the net and I regret I did not do that last time due to my work load and travel , and I did submit the report to the net 5 months later..
BTW my info is all these videos done in Tamilnadu and nothing to do with SL.
May 31st, 2011 at 7:14 pm
A. Sooriarachi Says:
May 31st, 2011 at 9:10 am
I suppose people like Navi Pillai, Chris Haynes, Brad Adams and their ilk in British Channel-4, are capable of believing Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park movie as a filming of a real life situation in some corner of our beloved earth.
You forgot to mention that Spielberg’s creations are far more believable compared to what Channel 4/LTTE came up with!!
June 1st, 2011 at 3:11 am
Those white idiots will believe in anything as long as they were handsomely paid by any individual or organization it may be terror organization or drug cartels or any criminal. We have seen how the world runs and should not bothered too much. The world is like a club with rich nations enjoy all the rich life styles while the poor suffer without any basics to live another day.
Nature will punish them for all their crimes to the mankind. Tornados,Twisters,Volcanos,Floods will destroy them although the poor cannot. This black witch and those white slaves will pay one day for harassing small nations unneccessarally. The day is not far away if all peace loving countries get united and make a strong front to face this evil one sided unfair so called International community of few white dominated rich powers.
June 1st, 2011 at 6:03 am
There is NOT one SRI LANKAN who NOT lost a friend, a child, a parent, a relative or a neighbor to the LTTE killing machine. We need a probe for those 70,000 plus murdered by LTTE. We have buried our dead and held our tears for so long. We need a closure. We owe this to the dead.
If UN is serious about this matter, why buy in to LTTE propaganda about last days of this war. We the silent, we the suffered, we who lost our loved ones, we who have buried our heavy hearts for so long need a closure.
WE SHALL DOCUMENT EVERY DEED OF LTTE AND OF ITS FINANCIERS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO REMEMBER…ALL THOSE CRIMES LTTE DID FOR 27 YEARS, SO THAT THIS CURSE WILL NEVER DARKEN OUR LAND AGAIN.
June 1st, 2011 at 7:07 am
Good thinking and a good idea too Arvinda. PATRIOTS SHOULD DO THIS DOCUMENTRY and show the world.We too need justice for our loved ones who were massacred in cold blood by those barbarians. The Government should take a lead and they should let us know the truth and details they got from those terrorists while they were in custody. We should know the Sinhala traitors who were involved with L.T.T.E and how much support them gave to them to kill our own people. We are the victim of terrorism not them.
June 1st, 2011 at 8:03 am
Sirih,
You commented..(This 2nd extended video is analysed by a new UN appointed expert in US and his conclusion agrees with me and I have submitted report to the govt and the Attorney General yesterday…)
I’m confused by this comment. Are you referring to Christof Heyns as the new UN appointed expert?
There is some contradiction
Heyns said he reviewed the footage showing the apparent execution of unarmed men and women with technical and forensic experts. “The overall conclusion reached by the experts is that the video is authentic and the events reflected in the video footage occurred as depicted,”
Whilst your technical analysis concluded it was a fake.
Did you not provide an affidavit with your analysis and conclusion?
Which part of the facts you provided have the GOSL ignored to counter the arguments line by line?
Perhaps you could shed some light as to why GOSL did not pursue C4 in UK Courts.
I intrigued you say the videos were shot (excuse the pun!) in Tamil Nadu and not in SL. Could it not have been in Malaysia, Burma or even a studio in West Hollywood. You obviously have the techinical evidence to prove it was in Tamil Nadu?
What we don’t know for certain is, if the “actors” were genuine SL soldiers or LTTE terrorist or even actors wishing to discredit the SL armed forces.
June 1st, 2011 at 7:15 pm
Heyns went with fishing expedition again and this time he in trouble because there is a new specialist, MR. GRANT FREDERICKS which Heyns hired.
Some how Grant is honest and make a mockery of Heyns allegation ( I feel Heyns did not even read the Grant’s conclusion) and proved that video is edited using Philips software and video use OPTICAL ZOOM (note.. not digital) and mobile phones even today DOES NOT have Optical zoom capability.
This is exactly what I was saying, that this video never came from a mobile source and video is edited… I wrote the VMC ( Vector Motion Compensation) theory in 80’s and this technology used by every broadcaster and video technology companies today. ADAC video convertor won Emmy award due to this when I was in London… This is heavy stuff and I used a Cray super computer in London Uni to get the vectors and ONLY other technology in this field in called Phc ( Phase Correlation Compensation) which came from the BBC research. Luckily I developed test tools for this when I was at Cisco and still have access to Cisco labs.
Funny thing is almost so called specialist concentrate on Subjective part of the video(acting) but NOT TECHNICAL part… SL govt need to remove lawyers from this argument and use technical people to handle this ones and for all…
Re. Ch4 in UK courts, My advise to the govt is to make a complain to the Ofcom ( UK Commercial TV Regulator) which can make a binding ruling and I have given access to my team in London to help the Attorney Generals office… No point going to courts and spend millions of dollars to lawyers.
Re. Tamil Nadu it came from a Intelligence source and we are in the process of land verification…. This is a sensitive issue… US defence know video is a fake and they are the one who ask me to analyse the first one… We work behind the scene to get support to the SL govt, so poor people live as free men and not under the terror… We need to separate countries with good defence support to SL with bad or dishonest foreign politicians.
I have a plan to come to SL and help with our Universities and defence forces with technology and get access to foreign high tech companies that can fund SL Uni’s technical depts.
June 1st, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Siri,
I am currently trying to pass your assertions to some IT savvy people at some places. I am bit surprised that these IT savvy people have not spent time to understand your findings. We may have to present your technical findings in a form understood by lawyers and politicians.
June 1st, 2011 at 11:02 pm
I have mailed my report to the editor of this site..
June 2nd, 2011 at 1:28 am
I am touched by constant efforts that are made by our patriotic Sri Lankans to defend our country from
evil, racism, and terrorist propaganda. Many gullible “whities” fall in to them for money and BBQ. Where is justice
and “International Community” when NATO and allies bomb and kill thousand innocent people globally. PB came
with gun and he was shot. “OBL” was unarmed and with women and kids and he was shot in front of them.
June 2nd, 2011 at 2:08 am
Sirih,
I thank you for your response.
Grant Fredricks is a indeed a trail expert in the field of Forensic Video Analysis. world re-known expert witness in his field and can be hired by anyone to provide an expert analysis. Not sure why GOSL did not employ his services (unless a conflict of interest exists) to put to bed once and for all this “video”.
Reporting to the Ofcom is a weak challenge. Ofcom, strictly should only be available to the UK general public as a recourse to object to misleading adverts, news and other TV programmes aired in the UK.
GOSL via the SL High Commission in UK complained to Ofcom and C4 only “got a slap on the wrist” with certain caveats. C4 continue to air the video within the guidelines set by Ofcom.
C4 has made an hour-long film directed by Callum Macrae, “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields”, to be shown in Geneva tomorrow (3rd June) on the sidelines of the Human Rights Council and to be broadcast in UK on June 14 & 15.
It does not surprise me that the US Defence/Intelligence are aware of the authencity or otherwise of the “video”; likewise the same US agency have Satellite images and voice recordings from Satellite and mobile phones during the last stages of the conflict. Typically as any Govt would do, will not release these but use them to arm twist as and when required to serve its own agenda.
I believe India had access to this evidence recently to use as a leverage on GOSL.
June 2nd, 2011 at 3:02 am
Further to my comment above:
see link for C4 news report carried out a few days ago
http://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-execution-footage-un-calls-for-investigation
June 2nd, 2011 at 4:49 am
The issue with our gvt is that they are not using experts we’ve .
People we’ve sent to the UN session are not knowing how to counter the allegation and kill the issue on the sopot.
Why do we not use our expert finding during UN sessions to counter the allegation.
Do we’ve any influential person here to influence the gvt to do so.?
My personal feeling is that removing Dr.Dayan Jayathilaka was a mistake.
He is a person who can challenge any one in debate
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:29 am
Asoka and Siri.H! It is great services both of you are doing for Sri Lanka. This is the high time Sri Lanka need highly qualified, expertise knowledge of Siri.H, to defeat the Western mercenary/UNO, UNHR, HRW front. This has to tackle diplomatically and technically. Without delay Sri Lanka must take the service of high caliber experts such as Siri.H etc. As Siri other experts also come forward to save our country at this crucial time.
But when I read the comments of Terry I have an opinion that he is for tamil terrorists. I felt he is trying to take some sensitive points from Siri.H. There are some Trojan horses in this website too.
June 2nd, 2011 at 5:50 am
Agreed.
they were cearful to improve the quality of vedioes after the coment on the first.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:48 am
Terry,
You know that the accusation leveled at the Sovereign State of Sri Lanka on a video footage produced by the Channel 4, is very serious.
No one ,except the anti Sri Lanka Western Governments and persons from the West working for the Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Inter National , Navi Pillai of UNHRC and the rest of their ilk , would believe in the “authenticity” of the video footage presented and commented by Heyns.
The Western persons who are working in complicity against Sri Lanka , hoping if not now even in ten years to subject Sri Lanka to a investigation by a « competent investigator of the West » ( you said that Terry in another comment elsewhere), are no fools.
They know very well how to evaluate the wrong from the right. In this instance they know the video footage could be nothing but a fake. But they do not openly accept that fact as they are out to implicate Sri Lanka on false ground of violation of human rights. And to prove that they are prepared to accept any « evidence » even if they know it is false.
UK Canal 4 has an axe to grind against Sri Lanka Government as they were stopped from making videos of the IDP Camps filming even the bath rooms and the toilets without any permission and was deported from Sri Lanka. They were out to take revenge for that « insult » and the result was the video footage they showed in their TV show in UK. That was taken up by the Human Rights activists for their campaign against Sri Lanka Government Forces, and to defend their dear terrorists.
Even Heyns who would not believe in the « conclusions reached by the experts » , which is apparent in the careful use of language to state his position, has to go along with the anti-Sri Lanka UN Officials including Navi Pillai his colleague in UN, in other words Heyns too was playing « politics ».
But no body had asked for the source of the VIDEO, who handed it over to the UK Canal 4, who filmed it, when , where how ? Those are the unanswered pertinent questions. Those are more important than the « overall conclusion of the experts » , as the accusation against the Sovereign State of Sri Lanka , which did nothing but its duty to eliminate terrorism from its territory, is very serious.
It is also relevant to know, why who ever handed it over selected the UK Canal 4 ? Why not another…? Why not the UNHRC or a Foreign Embassy ?
Unless and until every thing with regard to the filming of the video footage is divulged and the persons who filmed it , and handed it over to the Canal 4 are presented to be examined and cross examined the « VIDEO FOOTAGE IN QUESTION CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AS EVIDENCE » to accuse Sri Lanka or its Armed Forces for any violation of human rights during the last phase of the military operations against the terrorists, or even to determine whether there had been human rights violations during the course of its military operation any time during the terrorism from its very beginning.
June 2nd, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Prof. Rajiva on record with previous Rappoteur about, “Did any one said this video was done in SL” ? Guest what, UN person ignored the question…
To me it is clear cut and Govt. should go after the new Rappoteur asking him,
Did you read your own “hired” experts conclusion ? It says video is edited, and Optical zoom used indicating video never came from the mobile source…. Case closed…
So far no one from the govt. ask this and they have my report.
Instead every one responding to the subjective video like idiots.
If I use “Chroma Key” no one will be able to comment about video being mixed with different layers…. This is a fact… So why go into this area?.
Only way to analyse a video is via the technical tools and we know device capabilities of the phones to the million dollar broadcast equipments since all of them carry certain signatures which we normally zoom into when the analysis begin.
June 2nd, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Yes Sri Rohana, anybody can sign up to this sight and pose as a Sri Lankan. You wrote “There are some Trojan horses in this website too”. For all we know Terry could be typing from a keyboard in Langley Virginia, CIA Head Quarters or MI6 Head Quarters in London. In short Terry could be a CIA/MI6 Agent a co intel pro. CIA and MI6 work together around the world for nefarious agenda. I wouldn’t be surprised if the CIA,MI6 and Mossad were directly responsible along with RAW for the creation of the LTTE to destabilise Sri Lanka for a Hidden Agenda. Something dear readers of Lankaweb should think about.
June 3rd, 2011 at 4:19 am
Sirih,
It was reported, that , « In the video, several men lie on a muddy track, bound and motionless. Another man is shown being forced to sit upright by a soldier in camouflage carrying a rifle. Another soldier steps up behind and shoots him in the back of the head, point blank. The prisoner slumps sideways as the camera pans across the road revealing nine bodies, most of them naked, with gunshot wounds clearly visible. »
Even without the technical expertise , the video footage seems a fake, as it is strange that the Soldiers in the video footage had to keep the men to be shot seated upright before shooting them. I think a soldier who wants to shoot another will not want to make him sit upright to shoot, he will just shoot to kill him in what ever position he is found.
It is therefore evident that the video footage is a mise en scene for a photo session.
Apparently the UK Canal is doing a longer footage for a special showing., that means they are able to make long films out of a video that had been « given to them »by « some one »
This is real fiction…..a cinema show for the consumption of the gullible.
June 3rd, 2011 at 7:56 am
It is SL gvt who do not respond to the vedio correctly. gvt should repeat and stress the UN to answer the critical errors in the vedio clip. sadly gvt is not doing so or do not know how to ask the question.gvt is having pupet lawyers in UN knowing no deplomacy