No Person Resident In Sri Lanka Helped Us With ‘No Fire Zone’, No-One Was Paid For Any Evidence – Channel 4
” No person resident anywhere in Sri Lanka
helped us with this film. No-one was paid for any evidence or interviews.”
says Callum
Macrae, the producer of the Channel 4, ‘No
Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka‘.
Macrae
issued a statement this evening responding to a report published
in today Sinhala language Divaina newspaper.
We
publish below the statement in full;
What
is even more astonishing and disturbing is that these threats come from
government sources.
The
eyes of the world are on Sri Lanka just now, as the UN Human Rights Council
considers how justice and accountability can best be ensured in Sri Lanka.
Thereafter Commonwealth countries will also be considering their position in
relation to Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting scheduled to be held in
November in Sri Lanka.
In
a country which is under criticism for the high levels of disappearances of
government critics, its attacks on the judiciary and attempts to silence
journalists, these apparently government-sponsored threats are beyond belief.
They can only further the determination of everyone who cares about truth and
accountability to ensure that justice is done.
When
our first film came out – and provoked angry denials from the government – Sri
Lanka’s own former president, Chandrika
Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said: “continued denial of proven facts and
abuse of our honest critics will not resolve the problem for anyone.”
Open
threats will resolve the problem even less.
I
repeat again. No person resident anywhere in Sri Lanka helped us with this
film. No-one was paid for any evidence or interviews.
If
Sri Lanka uses our film to justify a witch-hunt, or worse, against anyone it
perceives as a critic it will condemn itself in the eyes of the world.
Translation
of the Divaina newspaper story;
Sri
Lanka on the watch for Sri Lankans helping Channel – 4
By
Noman Palihawadana
The
Ministry of Defence (MOD) is requesting the public to inform the government if
they know any Sri Lankans who are secretly helping the Channel 4.
There
is a growing suspicion whether some have deliberately turned their back to the
motherland in exchange for various favors. A spokesman from the MoD told
‘Divaina’, that they are requesting the public to inform the government on any
such individuals without any delay.
The
MoD says that regardless of Tamilnadu’s dreams, they will not be able to realize
any of their dreams about the Kachchathivu
island.
URL: http://www.divaina.com/
URL: http://www.divaina.com/
