Photograph Channel 4

New video evidence has been released by Channel 4 (see here), depicting sexual violence and brutality against Tamil women and men, presumed to be LTTE fighters, by Sri Lankan army soldiers.

The video, the latest in a growing pool of graphic video and photograph evidence of atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan military against Tamil civilians and fighters, depicts Sri Lankan military soldiers laughing, cheering and filming over the bodies of a Tamil woman and man. The woman's bloodied body is seen to be lying on the floor, stripped naked from the waist down. 

Writing on the Channel 4 website regarding this latest footage, Callum Macrae, the director of the acclaimed documentaries 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' and 'No Fire Zone', explained the circumstances of the video.

"This footage is awful because of the behaviour of the soldiers towards the bodies of the female Tiger fighters, and because of the underlying culture of systematic brutality and sexual violence which it seems to illustrate.

We don't know exactly when it was filmed – but it was at some point in the last two or three years of the war. It was filmed by a soldier on a mobile phone and its shows Sinhala-speaking soldiers – their uniforms suggest they may be special forces – who are laughing and cheering, as they celebrate the deaths of the Tiger fighters and perform acts of grotesque sexual violation on the bodies.

We also don't know exactly what happened or how these people - who appear to be fighters, though they are not wearing combat fatigues - came to die."

See here for the full article by Callum Macrae.

He adds,

"But what is clearest of all in the footage is the climate of sexual violence. The bodies of the women – but not the men – have been stripped and are subjected to repeated sexual abuse. And what makes this of particular concern is that this is not an isolated incident."

Responding to the video evidence, the Sri Lankan High Commission, said,

""Your latest attempt to denigrate Sri Lanka is a continuation of your pernicious campaign that has already been exposed in the book Corrupted Journalism Channel 4 and Sri Lanka.

Your allegations are such unmitigated and unsubstantiated rubbish that you make even gutter journalism appear to be Pulitzer Prize-winning professionalism.

What makes your journalism doubly dubious and obnoxiously unbalanced is that you expect us to comment on footage which, in fairness, we have not even been given the opportunity of seeing or hearing.

It is a pity that your continuing propagandist vendetta against Sri Lanka only continues to undermine the process of reconciliation and healing that we have undertaken after a near three-decade long terrorist war.

It is certainly not going to help those in Sri Lanka you pretend you are helping but who only wish to live in peace without external meddling and posturing.

Your crude journalism exposes both Callum and your calumny"."

Highlighting the British Prime Minister's pledge to support an international investigation and last week's draft UNHRC resolution's failure to call for a Commission of Inquiry, Mr. Macrae wrote,

"To the surprise of many observers, and despite David Cameron’s deadline, it suggests that nearly five years after the end of the war Sri Lanka may be given another year before an international inquiry is set up.

Many are now asking how that resolution – allowing another year of delay – can be reconciled with David Cameron's pledge last November. It remains to be seen whether international pressure – and the growing body of war crimes evidence – may yet convince Britain, and other members of the council, to toughen up the resolution, and take a stand this year."