Mahinda Gunasekera

June 13, 2011

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Editor,
Daily Telegraph
London, UK

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dear Editor,

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Channel 4 Video titled ‘Killing Fields of Sri Lanka’ to be aired on June 14, 2011

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ I am writing to bring to the attention of your readers that the above video carrying scenes of extra-judicial killings of unidentified men by armed men dressed in Sri Lankan Army (SLA) uniforms, the authenticity of which is in dispute, is an attempt to shame and discredit the twenty million people and the government of the sovereign state of Sri Lanka which has just emerged from the 30 plus years of unbridled terrorism of the brutal Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are several unanswered questions relating to the date and location where the gruesome scenes were filmed, the technical issues pointed out by both UN hired experts and those contracted by the Sri Lankan authorities pertaining to the editing of the original film with more than one video layer making it more than likely of it having been doctored.

Furthermore, the audio sounds are not synchronized with the video, plus the 17 frames which are deemed inconsistent and the encrypted date reading as UTC 2009-07-15 13:17:23 which is after the military action against the Tamil Tiger terrorists was brought to a close on May 18, 2009. The presence of a second video of the same events where the words spoken are in Tamil, and the perpetrators being Tamil Tiger cadres dressed in SLA uniforms.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The extended video to be screened on June 14, 2009 according to the Asian Tribune of June 12, 2011 is a cut and paste job involving the editing of numerous video clippings which were available in the public domain including Sri Lankan Army footage, to fabricate a one hour long production. These pieces put together out of context would be misleading, but are yet intended to form the basis of charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity to be brought against Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mention must be made of the Channel 4 team including Jonathan Millar that entered Sri Lanka immediately after the conclusion of the war against the Tamil Tiger terrorists as tourists instead of as journalists with a special visa, and broadcast a totally false news report about dead bodies not being cleared from the interim camps housing the Tamil IDPs and of Tamil women IDPs being raped by soldiers providing security at these locations. The Channel 4 team had their visas withdrawn and ordered out of the country by the Sri Lankan authorities. This leaves one to wonder if the Channel 4 News has a tie up with the pro-Tamil Tiger diaspora which is on a vengeful path following the collapse of their well funded project to break up Sri Lanka into two states, and are pursuing the same goal of punishing Sri Lanka by deceptive and other foul means.

These actions could seriously jeopardise the ongoing multi-facted programs to heal the rift and reconcile the constituent communities of Sri Lanka.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Yours sincerely,

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Mahinda Gunasekera