This shocking proof of secret war crimes committed during the Sri Lankan Civil War urgently needs to be shared with the world.
No Fire Zone - Impact Distribution
This was supposed to be a war conducted in secret. The Government excluded the international press, forced the UN to leave the war zone and ruthlessly silenced the Sri Lankan media – literally dozens of media workers were killed, exiled or disappeared. While the world looked away in the first few months of 2009 around 40,000 to 70,000 civilians were massacred – mostly by Sri Lankan government shelling, though the Tamil Tigers also stand accused of serious war crimes.
Dear friends,
The No Fire Zone documentary has been part of the incredible, urgent movement to bring accountability and justice to Sri Lanka after the bloody events of the final months of the civil war. Since January of this year we've already had an amazing journey with the film - we've been to India to meet politicians, shown snippets in the UK House of Commons, made headlines around the world and premiered the film at the UN in Geneva.
People are shocked when they see the film and many tell us they have now changed their minds about the Sri Lankan government or that they’d simply never heard of the war crimes that happened in 2009 killing so many civilians.
We have been asked to do screenings from Auckland to Argentina for politicians and student groups and we want to get to them all to make sure every country has the chance to see this film. We've achieved a lot with our set of brilliant partners -www.nofirezone.org/partners - but we need to do much much more and you can be part of the next stage.
We want an international independent investigation.
We need to show No Fire Zone to as many audiences as possible around the world. The government of Sri Lanka is trying to stop us at every turn even saying our footage is faked. (It isn't - it has all been carefully authenticated. Key evidential footage was analysed by independent forensic experts and has also been verified as genuine by the UN). The government has attacked our partners and used expensive lobbying firms to counter our claims.
But we are determined to get the truth out. This is a tour about truth and justice for all the Sri Lankan people; this film can make a difference.
Things are already changing but we have much to do before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which is due to be held in Sri Lanka in November 2013.
The Commonwealth Law Association just passed a resolution asking the Commonwealth Ministerial Group to suspend Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth due to its breaches of Commonwealth Values and growing numbers of voices in the international community are speaking out on Sri Lanka. Geoffrey Roberton QC has said the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting should be moved from Sri Lanka and the Canadian Premier has stated he will not attend if things do not improve in the country.
This year already more countries than ever before voted on a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council calling on Sri Lanka to strengthen its human rights situation and investigate resposiibility for war crimes;
However the Sri Lankan government continues to deny the truth - portraying this divided and bloody country as the perfect hoiiday resort.
In the North – where the killing fields remain, the army are running hotels, the navy are running whale watching trips. Tourists have no idea what happened there just four years ago.
Background
No Fire Zone documents the day to day horror of this war in a way almost never done before: Footage recorded by both the victims and perpetrators on mobile phones and small cameras – viscerally powerful actuality from the battlefield, from inside the crudely dug civilian bunkers and over-crowded makeshift hospitals.
Footage which is nothing less than direct evidence of war crimes, summary execution, torture and sexual violence.
No Fire Zone also brings the story up to date. The Sri Lankan government still denies this all happened - even claiming that what they did was an “humanitarian rescue”. The repression and ethnic restructuring of the Tamil homelands in the north of Sri Lanka continues – journalists and government critics are still disappearing. The government will tolerate no opposition and have even turned on their own judiciary, impeaching the Chief Justice of the country when she found they had acted unconstitutionally.
We offer this film, not just as the definitive film of record, but also in the hope it will jolt the international community and audience to call for action.
But none of this will happen if we can't get this film seen. Please help us distribute this film around the world.
Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter
The team behind this film has already made two TV docs about this war - which won countless awards around the world. The team was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. We are working with some of the most established partners and respected NGOs to ensure the film is seen by the right people making the most important decisions as well as by the general public. Our distribution plans are very ambitious and are going to be very hard work. But with your help we can do it.
