The Dutch prosecution of five Sri Lankan Tamils continues in The Hague today in a trial which now promises to drag Dutch criminal law into conflict with the Sri Lankan government.
By Richard Walker and Maike Winters in The Hague
On a day bogged down by the virtually lone voice of Judge Van Rossum reading out witness testimonies gathered from Sri Lanka and neighbouring countries, defence counsel Victor Koppe sparked the potential for controversy by requesting the screening of British Channel 4’s “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” documentary. It will be viewed by the court today.
The film contains evidence that the government of Sri Lanka committed war crimes in the last phase of the country’s 30 year civil war, including the shelling of civilian hospitals and the execution of prisoners of war. Victor Koppe described the film as being an “important source of information on the conflict.”
The Sri Lankan government has refuted the authenticity of the programme’s evidence since its broadcast in June, calling it “fabricated”.
‘Killing Fields‘ screening
International pressure on the Sri Lankan government to properly address allegations that its military committed atrocities in the closing months of the war in 2009 has been intensifying in recent months . Rights groups, western governments and the UN have all made clear there must be transparency and a mechanism for justice put in place for the thousands of victims of the 2009 violence. Showing the best known contribution from the western media in a Dutch Criminal court could further legitimise those demands.
Speaking to RNW in his office at the Sri Lanka Embassy, Ambassador Buddhi Athauda, called the planned screening unfair. ‘They play the emotional card in a legal case. And the video is a fraud, it’s a PR clip from the LTTE (Tamil Tigers), it’s wrong... we intend to make a formal request not to show the video in court,’ he said.
One further course of action is for the Sri Lankan authorities to request the court also screens a film it commissioned and quickly produced this summer as a rebuttal to the Channel 4 film called “Lies Agreed Upon”. Asked whether the screening of this film would be considered, the Dutch prosecution in the current case seemed unprepared and undecided.
The current trial
Meanwhile back on the first day at the Paleis van Justitie in the centre of The Hague, the accused listen to witness testimonies through interpreters. Judge Van Rossum reads out a letter from one defendant claiming that the funds he raised were for humanitarian aid – helping the victims of war in Sri Lanka.
There were barely half a dozen Tamils present in the courtroom’s public gallery – this is surprising given the typical vociferousness of the Sri Lankan diaspora in all matters relating to the Tamil Tigers. One Tamil supporter present, who wished to remain unnamed, complained that, ‘All Dutch Tamils received a letter from the police when they were investigating this case.’
The letter contained information about the nature of the investigation and warned Tamils they were under the close watch of the Dutch police. ‘Many of us felt intimidated, so most people don’t really dare to show up here together in public.’
The case continues.
Read the first story by the International Justice Desk on this case
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I am glad I live in a country Free of terrorism and violence.A true patriot in the name of Mahinda Rajapasa rose to the occasion.A man with great values he commands respect of all communities,no mater who's against him they should know that he's the democratically elected president of Sri Lanka. No comparison between A savage like Prbahakaran or a true leader like Mahinda.MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA DESERVES THE GRATITUDE OF ALL MANKIND FOR ELIMINATING TERRORISM...WE ADORE YOU SIR.. Now Tamil's can live in peace in a united Sri Lanka.GOD BLESS MOTHER LANKA!!! :)
Put this Rajafuckers in jail for long time. What happened Sri lanka is a well planned and coordinated “Genocide of Tamils” and “Ethnic cleansing of Tamil” The entire world community was just watch this massacre. Well it is IC- international community ‘s duty to put this Mother'fu'ers to jail.
This is the Time for all the Tamil Diaspora to rise up and scream at these monsters. We need to achieve this in a democratic way. Tamils, call your common wealth office and ICC- international cricket council, slam this monsters. Let the sanction be bestowed upon them. Make them a pariah state. Prosecute them for war crimes.
“Genocide of Tamils” and “Ethnic cleansing of Tamil” ? Hahahahha...a good one! When the whole world can see that over 54% of Tamils have always lived and continue to live peacefully amongst the Sinhalese in the non-traditional Tamil areas of SL? You should not have contributed your life savings to that bunch of FAILED TERRORISTS - that way you would not be having the Koo-koo brain you have today (I agree that was a hard pill for you to swallow, to see your life savings go down in a rotting muddy pool! :))
Put this Rajafuckers in jail for long time. What happened Sri lanka is a well planned and coordinated “Genocide of Tamils” and “Ethnic cleansing of Tamil” The entire world community was just watch this massacre. Well it is IC- international community ‘s duty to put this Mother'fu'ers to jail.
This is the Time for all the Tamil Diaspora to rise up and scream at these monsters. We need to achieve this in a democratic way. Tamils, call your common wealth office and ICC- international cricket council, slam this monsters. Let the sanction be bestowed upon them. Make them a pariah state. Prosecute them for war crimes.
It is a shame on the Dutch that screening of ch4 peddled but LTTE produced "Killing Fields" garbage can even be considered for a moment. This piece of trash is as good false-propaganda can ever get. LTTE still has over $4Billion that they earlier earmarked for deadly weaponry purchases to "finish off" the Sri Lankan armed forces, but given that this stupendously cocky-stupidity saw themselves getting decimated to zero and now no war in Sri Lanka, they are determined to use that money to punish Sri Lanka in any way they can and churning out this type of vicious false propaganda is just one method. Another is the lavish bribing of western governmental figures, the western media and the west based INGOs to sing their "war crimes in Sri Lanka" song. This is why the non-west in this world has not bought into this "punish Sri Lanka for war crimes" mysterious frenzy.
Hey..you Singala criminals...masking in western names. We know you people doing robbery & rapping minors where people show mercy and give jobs to u.
We know who Tamils fighting for their birth rites...& U lawless. Be honest and genuine to world.
Sri Lanka’s so called “Killing Fields” is a documentary which has been prepared by an outfit that has been financed by the remnants of the LTTE - the Diaspora Tamils that facilitate LTTE activity; and this outfit has no credibility, a reason why the United Nations had to abandon the so called documentary in the end. On the other hand, “Lies Agreed Upon” is a legitimate and a credible documentary in answer to “Killing Fields” that had been concocted / doctored / manufactured by the frustrated Tamil Diaspora seeking “International” attention. In whichever way, in the end of all of this, the truth shall remain as the Tamils seem not to have anything else but to beg the West where politicians could be influenced through contributions to their respective campaign funds that has been proven during Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt for presidency of the USA. Terrorists shall always remain terrorists and knows no limits; daringly unyielding in achieving malevolence.
Sri Lanka’s so called “Killing Fields” is a documentary which has been prepared by an outfit that has been financed by the remnants of the LTTE - the Diaspora Tamils that facilitate LTTE activity; and this outfit has no credibility, a reason why the United Nations had to abandon the so called documentary in the end. On the other hand, “Lies Agreed Upon” is a legitimate and a credible documentary in answer to “Killing Fields” that had been concocted / doctored / manufactured by the frustrated Tamil Diaspora seeking “International” attention. In whichever way, in the end of all of this, the truth shall remain as the Tamils seem not to have anything else but to beg the West where politicians could be influenced through contributions to their respective campaign funds that has been proven during Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt for presidency of the USA. Terrorists shall always remain terrorists and knows no limits; daringly unyielding in achieving malevolence.
Sri Lanka’s so called “Killing Fields” is a documentary which has been prepared by an outfit that has been financed by the remnants of the LTTE - the Diaspora Tamils that facilitate LTTE activity; and this outfit has no credibility, a reason why the United Nations had to abandon the so called documentary in the end. On the other hand, “Lies Agreed Upon” is a legitimate and a credible documentary in answer to “Killing Fields” that had been concocted / doctored / manufactured by the frustrated Tamil Diaspora seeking “International” attention. In whichever way, in the end of all of this, the truth shall remain as the Tamils seem not to have anything else but to beg the West where politicians could be influenced through contributions to their respective campaign funds that has been proven during Hillary Clinton’s failed attempt for presidency of the USA. Terrorists shall always remain terrorists and knows no limits; daringly unyielding in achieving malevolence.
It seems that you support the terrorism by Sri lankan Army and the hidden Genocide in Srilanka against tamils. It means you are a sinhalese person. LOL. You guys are always funny.
"The Sri Lanka's Killing Fields" documentary is prepared by an independent body and not by the Tamils or the victims. The Sri Lankan documentary "Lies Agreed upon" is prepared by the alleged war criminal Rajapakse state to cover up their crimes and that's why Tamils are demanding for a gound investigation by an independent international body. The Sri Lankan regime continues to deny independent international investigation of war crimes and human rights abuses as it has committed war crimes and human rights abuses. Further after the end of the war, the regime continued in its path with brutal draconian Laws, defy international Law, R2P and Rule of Law, attacked the Tamils at will. The world is fully aware of the detention of over 300,000 Tamils in detention camps, hundred of thousands of innocent Tamils are disappeared and the International Community has failed to deal with the criminal regime firmly. Now Tamils areas are flooded by Sinhala colonization, name change of villages from the Tamil to Sinhala, continues to deny unrestricted access to international media, journalists, NGOs and Human rights Groups to Tamil areas. There were several crimes including the murder of 17 French Charity workers and 5 Students killings are never investigated or anyone charged for these attrocities. Only an independent investigation of war crimes can bring meaningful results, accountability and justice. God bless the victims!
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