Monday March 18, 2024
SNc Channels:

Search
About Salem-News.com

 

Jun-02-2011 00:40printcommentsVideo

UN Experts: Sri Lanka Tamil Genocide Video is Real

UN says Sri Lanka Army (SLA) committed war crimes against the Tamil minority.

There are simply no words to fully describe the horror the Tamil people have experienced at the hands of the Rajapaksa regime of Sri Lanka.
There are simply no words to fully or adequately describe the horror the Tamil people have experienced at the hands of the Rajapaksa regime that took control of Sri Lanka in 2005.

(SALEM) - A UN Special Rapporteur confirmed Tuesday that a video allegedly depicting Sri Lanka Army (SLA) forces executing Tamil Tigers was authentic, and that the video was “prima facie evidence of international crimes.”

Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, described the killings shown on the video – whose authenticity has been contested by the Sri Lankan government – as “textbook examples of extrajudicial executions.”

The independent United Nations human rights expert has called on Sri Lankan authorities to thoroughly investigate the apparent execution of several men by Government soldiers, saying a disputed video of the incident seems to be authentic.

The video provided by Britain's Channel 4 News shows naked people with their hands tied behind their backs being executed against a backdrop of corpses of other men and women. Heyns said the new evidence should be investigated in both the domestic and international arena.

At a press conference in Geneva, the UN Rapporteur said the new evidence should be investigated in both the domestic and international arena.

“What Philip Alston did initially, and this is what we did as well is then to get a video and audio specialist, forensic specialist to look at the possibility of any special effects also to get a forensic pathologist, a medical doctor to look at the evidence concerning blood body movements and to comment on that whether these are actually consistent with the profile of people actually dying and then also ballistics experts to look at, amongst other things, at the recoil and the emissions to see whether that is consistent with live ammo being fired.”

“This will be taken further on the domestic level itself because of the governments access to the evidence as well as on the international level and our point is that we think there’s enough evidence to say that it should go to the second level.”

“I do think a broader process is necessary to establish whether these are crimes against humanity [or] possibly war crimes that took place,” he said, adding it was important to determine if the killings were part of wider pattern of systematic attacks against civilians or prisoners of war.

In his report to the UN Human Rights Council he said that “what is reflected in the extended video are crimes of the highest order – definitive war crimes,” although he stressed that further investigations need to be carried out.

Mr. Heyns said experts in forensics, medicine, ballistics and video and audio concluded that the executions depicted in the video did take place, reflecting the findings last year of his predecessor, Philip Alston.

Speaking to the Council today, Sri Lanka’s representative Mohan Pieris said the Government had been precluded from making a full assessment of the video because of the blurred quality of the images.

Steady Progress in UN

Officials with the United Nations have been studying the video of suspect war crimes carried out in 2009, since late last year.

There really is no limit to the amount of shocking video that exists. Much of it was shot by civilians with cell phone cameras. The Sri Lankan government went to a great amount of effort to kidnap and kill journalists who were friendly to the Tamil cause, or simply the cause of humanity, as all of the journalists murdered in recent years were not Tamil, some were Sinhalese.

Gus Wascheforts, Special Assistant to Mr. Christof Heyns, said the results of testing procedures and content analysis are persuasive and the events depicted on the available video and audio recordings are authentic.

"As stated, Mr. Fredericks, also a forensic video analyst, also consulted on this issue and came to the conclusion." He says they have found no evidence to suggest that the extended video contains fabricated images or audio elements. He added that the execution scenes contain no virtualization.

“I have therefore formed the opinion that the extended video is authentic in that it accurately portrays what it purports to show.”

Salem-News.com has reported in the past that Sri Lanka's long running civil war was not raging when President Majonda Rajapaksa took office in 2005. He quickly devised a plan to crush the The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil: தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள் resistance and in the process murdered tens of thousands of Tamil civilians, as well as Tamil Tiger fighters.

Past reports on the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka;

May-30-2011: Confronting the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka - Tim King Salem-News.com

May-27-2011: New Song 'Depression' - Graphic Truth of Sri Lanka Tamil Genocide - Song by Agron Belica Story by Tim King Salem-News.com

May-21-2011: Sri Lanka Tamil Genocide: Killing the Messenger - Tim King Salem-News.com

May-10-2011: Rally Demanding Justice for Genocide Victims of Thamil Eelam - Salem-News.com

Apr-27-2011: Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka Emerges Into Public View - Tim King Salem-News.com

Apr-22-2011: World Ignores Genocide of Sri Lanka's Tamil Population - Tim King Salem-News.com

Aug-07-2010: Grisly Photos Reveal Genocide by Sri Lankan Government Against Tamil People - Muthamizh Vendhan for Salem-News.com

Mar-15-2009: Sri Lanka: Possible War Crimes - Salem-News.com

May-10-2009: UN Says Urgent International Scrutiny Needed in Sri Lanka - Salem-News.com

__________________________________

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 82 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com




Comments Leave a comment on this story.
Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.



Editor June 18, 2011 4:10 pm (Pacific time)

For the record, this story had more than 210 comments the last time I checked, and suddenly the number has dropped sharply. We are investigating, be advised that a great deal of information is missing, and we are trying to determine why.


Mulli Blood June 6, 2011 5:05 pm (Pacific time)

Dear International Communities, if you believe every human has right to live and right to express their language, cultural social identities and express their freedom of live, please watch British Channel 4 Television documentary of Sri Lanka on Genocide, on 14th of June 2011, at 23.00 pm (British time). This documentary will highlight how the Tamils are suffered the last 30 years Government of Sri Lanka’s war on peace or war on terrorism. On May 2009, an unimaginable crime against humanity was committed by the Sri Lankan forces of Government of Sri Lanka.


Vanni Appu June 4, 2011 12:45 pm (Pacific time)

Some nuts Sinhalese extremist does not know what the terrorism means is. They are always ruthlessly blaming LTTE as a terrorist. These clever head hard core people never talk about Sinhalese pain taking atrocities for ever. Would you know how many air bombardments done or indiscriminate shell attacked or claymore attack targeted many Tamil public and school children, Tamil women raped and executed by blood thrusting Sri Lanka military, on May 2009. They murdered 40,000 civilian at over night. Have you open your eyes now to see the butchered innocent people bodies? You may say these are faked and big lie. Government of Sri Lanka and military almost wiped out entire Tamils lives, language, cultures and identities, etc in Northern and Eastern Tamil Ealam. How would you describe this is? Is it not terrorism? (You are doing genocide). Also the Sinhalese ruthless politician carefully planned and organised number of pogroms anti Tamil, last 6 decades. UN and International Communities should take the past crimes against the Tamils (humanity). The criminal, Mahinda and Co should bring to the International Criminal Court for tribunal and international justice for victimise Tamils of genocide. The Singhalese and IC have to study and learn why and what root caused to this ethnic conflict. Don’t say LTTE terrorisms!!! And when was LTTE come and why? Now Sinhala racist terrorist are building many Buddhist shrine in North and East of Tamil Ealam, and those Sinhalese are claiming that Tamil Land belong to Sinhalese, and ruthlessly manipulating the history, many Tamil villages is converted to Sinhalese and ejecting the Tamils from the Tamil heart land of Northern and Eastern of Tamil Ealam. I urge to the International Communities and please watch the Channel 4 Video of Genocide on 14th of June 2011.


Anonymous June 2, 2011 6:35 pm (Pacific time)

Thanks Colli...I am anon from previous post. My name is Stephen. I am not republican, or democrat, just Stephen looking, searching, and trying to share what I think is truth thru time and research. Thank you so much for your post.


Colli June 2, 2011 5:20 pm (Pacific time)

Anonymous: Excellent post! I had read an article a few years ago that was very similar to the article you provide a link to. I believe your implications are right on the money. Between the banks and the politicians who are so busy selling us out for re-election contributions and increased power, we are pretty well tomorrow night’s dinner for these financial cannibals. There is no low they would not stoop to, no palm too dirty to grease, and no government too pure to buy. When every bank account in the land has been drained, the will light the ovens to sell our ashes for fertilizer! When you read of their past activities, it is clear that they have done so before. Once everyone else in the world has been either eaten or incinerated, they would turn on each other and their own as a blood-sport. The world is their petri- dish and it is only a matter of time before they develop a social virus they cannot control. You can almost guarantee that Sri Lanka is just one more profit-center-to-be for them. Check into Anonymous's suggestion Tim. There is an awful mountain of facts that support this view. Colli


Manjula June 2, 2011 4:27 pm (Pacific time)

Biased and one-sided article without any word against millions atrocities committed by tamil tigers for 30 years. This article is simply a poop against Rajapaksha government and apperas to be a paid writing for the begger.

Editor: Why do people who rally behind Genocide always begin with insults?  This is an American news group, we are not financed by the LTTE. 

The video probably is authentic since it was done by tamil tigers wearing Sri Lankan army uniforms and killing captured Sri lankan army soldiers while talking in Singhalese. While the video may be genuine the story behind is a huge fake.

Editor: That was downright funny, perhaps you actually think anyone is going to believe this?  Please.


Anonymous June 2, 2011 12:09 pm (Pacific time)

I am posting, to give you info on what is really happening in circumstances such as this article. After over a decade of research into the elite, I have come to a point where it is necessary to strongly urge others to learn what is really going on. I dont have a perfect "go to" website, all websites and personalities have their faults. There are 3 people I can offer you listen to for starters. Alex Jones, Alan Watt and David Icke. All, of which are far from perfect, but give the best info. Alan Watt has become my favorite. Alan Watt was on the Alex Jones show today. I know many dont have the time, I am fortunate enough that my chores allow me to listen while I work. There is info everywhere, but I am also lucky enough to have extra time to actually do the research, read the books of the elite, de-classified government documents,U.N. documents, CFR reports and so forth. What is even more interesting, is that I am seeing the writings that I read many years ago actually coming true close to perfection. If you had any clue what their plans are, and what they have been doing to us, how we have been lied to and manipulated all our lives, well.. You can go to infowars.com and click on the "listen" button to get the interview with Alan Watt. It will be on at 2:30pm pacific time, and every 3 hours after. 5:30, 8:30 etc. Also, here is a link, kinda long but will give you some of the actual people/corporations that control most of the world. http://www.infowars.com/the-federal-reserve-cartel-the-eight-families/ Catch up Tim, we need you. CHeck this info out, then try and spend a little time each day to research and find out this stuff is true. Its urgent now. Thanks.


Saro June 2, 2011 9:05 am (Pacific time)

Tim King of Salem News, Jon Snow of Channel 4, Tony Benn of UK Parliament, Nelson Mandela are people born to liberate those who are oppressed and persecuted. They go all out to seek justice to the victims of genocide.

[Return to Top]
©2024 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.


Articles for June 1, 2011 | Articles for June 2, 2011 | Articles for June 3, 2011



Click here for all of William's articles and letters.

Annual Hemp Festival & Event Calendar

Sean Flynn was a photojournalist in Vietnam, taken captive in 1970 in Cambodia and never seen again.

Support
Salem-News.com: