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Sri Lanka's Killing Fields


Colinjb
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Still trying to get my head around what I saw last night on this program. I'm coming back to be caught in two trains of thought.

 

1) That such brutality and evil can happen directly under the noses of the world is horrifying. Actions must surely need to be taken against Sri Lanka for this...... but nothing will be able to bring the 40,000 innocent Tamil civilians back.

 

2) The only reason we are aware of this is due to the modern technology involed. This is shocking because the capability is now there to get that type of footage out of warzones. Previously, during WW2, The Yugoslavian civil war, Vietnam etc this type of reasonable quality ad-hoc filming was impossible. The war-crimes that were involved therefore couldn't possibly have had the same impact on us. Sri Lanka's government tried to cover this up.... and they failed to do so due to their own troop's blazé attitude towards their own attrocities.

 

In future wars will our 'age of communication' result in horrors such as this becoming impossible to cover up? Will this clarity of information be a deterent to man's inhumanity to man or will the inheirently self destructive nature of humanity continue to assert itself in times of warfare and conflict?

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Ive just watched this in my lunchbreak. How I am the first to comment on this on here I do not know as I feel deeply sad for the people that went through this. Truly unbelievable war crimes in a not so distant past.

 

I really hope something is done to bring those responsible to justice.

 

The worrying thing is, that sort of thing is probably happening somewhere right now..............

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Seems we must have been the only ones to see it. Maybe as a result of Ch4 showing the program close to midnight last night.

 

Apparently this was due to 'disturbing content,' on the contrary, that's exactly why it should have been shown at a more mainstream time. The marginalisation of television so important as this would be a massive injustice in itself.

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Srebrenica '95, Khmer Rouge in the late 70s, Darfur, it really is one of the great philosophical tragedies of life when after Hitler's extermination of the Jews people said "never again".

 

Even a local Detective Inspector of many years would tell you their experience of the extent of the horrible things people do to each other, and mass torture/murder is on a completely different level to that.

 

In the famous words of Rodney King "why can't we all just get along?"

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Seems we must have been the only ones to see it. Maybe as a result of Ch4 showing the program close to midnight last night.

 

Apparently this was due to 'disturbing content,' on the contrary, that's exactly why it should have been shown at a more mainstream time. The marginalisation of television so important as this would be a massive injustice in itself.

 

Totally agree. I think everyone should see that documentary regardless of how graphic it is. It cant be ignored because it might make people feel sick. Good!! It needs to hit home that this sh!t goes on. I really hope that advances in technology will go some way to reducing the number of these crimes. Although, by the fact that the "soldiers" were more than happy to film each other and parade on camera Im worried it wont make an ounce of difference... Maybe it will kick the world leaders into doing something though. I get the feeling this documentary will be old news and forgotten by everyone including the governments before long unfortunately.

 

For anyone who missed it, its available on 4od, which is accessible on internet and PS3...

Edited by Liquidshokk
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I saw it too and am really glad that I did. I echo what's already been said and agree that more people should see the programme.

 

The take home message for me was that, to our leaders, life is worth very little. Sri-lankan cricket team is playing here now isn't it? Perfect opportunity to make a point.... opportunity ignored.

 

Probably the most depressing thing I've ever seen on telly - genuinely shocking.

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Im not surprised at all. It was reported at the time when the government won the war there were fears atrocities would be commited but most tv was saying "its great, a long civil war has finished, hooray, we can forget about that now."

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