It’s not often that the most powerful man in the country rings you.
I’d spoken amicably to defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa 45 minutes earlier about getting some better access to Sri Lanka’s 25-year war. But this time he was calling me, and seemed to have remembered something.
“Who is this? You rang me earlier? Is this Channel 4? You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here.”
I’m missing out my interjections, but that’s pretty much how you get deported in Sri Lanka.
To make the next flight out, we tried to leave the port of Trincomalee, where we had been, but were pulled over at a police roadblock, and eventually taken back to the police station. There, our vehicle was searched and a man typed statements from three of us, which we had not actually given and had also refused to sign.
We were then driven back to Colombo through such traffic that, despite repeated assurances from the defence minister’s media handler, we missed our flight. We turned down the police’s offer of a “bungalow” for the night, and headed for a flight to Singapore at 7.25am.
As we passed through immigration, the police again tried to get a statement from me, one plain clothes officer asking me what my name was and when I arrived in Colombo, what I had reported on since I got there.
He told me our job was “to help Sri Lanka”, whilst explaining, almost by way of an apology, it seemed, that he was following orders and had been trained in Scotland Yard.
Where did this outburst of government anger come from? The only explanation I can find is that my phone call to the defence secretary reminded him about a report we did last Tuesday (see below). In it, aid workers at a number of the internment camps for the displaced in the northern town of Vavuniya spoke openly of conditions there.
As a journalist you can only get to these camps with the army – they escort you wherever you go. But someone working for us had managed to get a camera into the camps and have a series of interviews taken for us. Those who spoke did so anonymously.
The allegations were startling both because of their content but also because of the extreme reaction they provoked from the government. Bodies left for days; children crushed in the rush for food; the sexual abuse of women; disappearances. All things that have regularly blighted Sri Lanka’s brutal war – and most other conflicts across the world.
The accusations of abuse had been taken seriously by the UN, as three dead female bodies had been found in the bathing area of part of the camp. They told me they had asked for a change in the guards at the bathing area (from soldiers to female police) and that civilians, not the police and army, be asked to investigate allegations of abuse.
This statement made, to us, the claims of aid workers at the camp all the more credible and something we surely should air quickly.
We went out of our way to get a government response: the army spokesperson, Brigadier Nanayakkara, refused twice a request to go on camera, so in the end we pushed through the foreign ministry and got a cabinet minister – Keheliya Rambukwella – who on camera accepted that if such things had happened, the perpetrators should be punished, but reminded us this was a new camp and instances of such abuse could be expected in any population of a hundred thousand people.
The next day I went into the foreign ministry and the Media Centre for National Security to try and clear the air. The MCNS – sort of the military’s tool for censorship – is run by Lakshman Hulugalle.
He explained that I had damaged the country’s image and would later hear of their “measures” against me. He did not discuss the truth of the allegations at all. It took another three days for me to learn what those measures were.
After a clumsy but polite 10-hour detention by Sri Lankan police, I am now I am back in Bangkok. Mr Hulugalle claims I have admitted to a “crime”. That is nonsense. I am accused – I understand – of damaging the image of the armed forces, which is apparently an offence. But I can’t recall where or when I would have had the opportunity to do admit to that.
There is a reason why the government is so extraordinarily sensitive about this topic, bar the usual protectiveness of a nation for its armed forces. They need western money to fund these IDP camps – places government officials openly accept are “technically” internment camps. They will hold part of the country’s ethnic Tamil population for as long as three years, many involved say.
The government has spent a lot on the war and needs the UN to fund and manage this “resettlement” project – ostensibly the detention of up to 230,000 people for long enough to filter out any remaining militant sympathisers.
Claims about the camp’s impropreities – the squalor, children trampled under feet, sexual abuse, disappearances – refocus the attention of the international community back on whether these camps are ethically a good idea or even beneficial to the humanitarian problems at the end of this bitter war.
We saw – and in our case filmed – pictures of the hungry displaced, freshly arrived in the camps from the far worse hell of the no-fire zone. It looks like another war-related crisis – where internatonal aid must flood in to help.
But this is different, many aid workers told me: it’s man made – a crisis born of the decision to detain much of the population of the country’s northern Vanni area indefinitely.
An aid worker told me how a Tamil woman in the camps had approached – tired of wearing the same diry clothes and eating meagre handouts. She had money and asked the aid worker just to go outside the camps’ barbed wire fence to buy her a change of clothes and some food.
“She had money, she had relatives to stay with. But they would not let her out.” This is a man-made humanitarian disaster,” the aid worker explained. “I am in the strange position of just keep telling all our donors when they come here to NOT to give money.”
But there is a broader reason why deportation, not rapid rebuttal, was the chosen method in dealing with our allegations. The government is intolerant of a critical press. Journalists get killed – most notoriously Lasantha Wickrematunge – an editor assassinated in January.
One writing for an international publication begged me not to tell anyone else they had this high-profile role. “I was close to the line a few years ago, but now it seems OK again”, they said.
The line for our crew was at passport control, but you realise what crossing the line for Sri Lankan journalists means.
Commentsoldest first
I have trust you will publish this:
Nick Walsh has successfully ensured that no journalist can now visit Sri Lanka. The government was easing it’s control of late and giving journalist more access to these areas. Nick’s tabloid journalism has put an end to all that!
The New York Times recently praised the Sri Lankans for placing these people in camps as opposed to what is happening in Pakistan where Taliban extremists were escaping under the cover of civilians to carry out terror campaigns around other parts of the country.
Channel4 now claims they want an explanation from Sri Lanka. What a joke!
I watched your videos.Those videos are far behind the truth.Those were like not filmed in IDP camps.We hardly hear any background noise..:)And those aid workes seem not in those camps. How did u find a such a good place to records those voices.I guess it was not in IDP camps.
” . But someone working for us had managed to get a camera into the camps and have a series of interviews taken for us.
your interviews are not taken in camps.They were taken in some closed place”
” someone working for us”- This someone might be a LTTE supporter
.
You people for LTTE and LTTE work for u.Is that the way.???
U ppl are not journalists.
You all are Mouth Pieces of LTTE.
wat u try to say? channel4 bringing out to the world true… wat srilankan goverment done is wrong.. they should give an explanation to channel4.. its not joke.. srilankan goverment killing people like dogs dont u na tht
Truth is not very sweet medicine but it will heal the wound.
thank you very much for your report. We all sri lankans are very much obliged to yiou. Please do more. best of luck
THANK YOU NICK
you managed to show to the world at a glimpse of concentration camps run by the srilankan government.why government keep the people in prision ?at the mean time ask LTTE to release the civiliance.so they can kill and rape people in their so called concentretion camps
Mr.Nick Paton Walsh,
I salute you for bring the Voice for the VOICELESS TAMILS in Sri Lanka. Killing innocent people like animals, this Sri Lankan government should be punished by the U.N courts for Genocides. Any civilized country should not ignore this anymore!!! This is clearly a Genocide!!! So please continue to write the “Truths” about this BARBARIAN Government and bring the Justice for the innocent Tamils. I thank you from my bottom of my heart.
Thank you for showing the world the truth about Sri lankan Government’s state terrorism.
thank you.bring our truth news in srilanka
pls help us tamil eelam
mr nick walsh thankyou thankyou.please
please help us. please carry on what youur doing for us.
Well done for your braveness!
Hats off to you for bringing cat out of the bag. What we see is you got only a drop of ocean. Many truth hidden in the singala chauvinism and propaganda under the pretext of war on terror. LTTE is a freedom fighter fighting for Ezham cause. If you look back the history for the last 50 years or so, singlees government tried to oppress the minority in many ways, typical example 1983 riot in Colombo. They are doing BARBARIC ACT, Western Government just looking on allowing to happen with the support of inhuman countries like Russia and China. The comment you see against your initiative is only again well drafted act by the Srilankan Government propaganda to withdraw you from revealing any truth about their country. Salute you for your intention and achievement on this humanitarian issue.
Sinhala stupids think that all others are stupid & jokers.
You are going to be biggest community of yokers soon.
Thank you Nick, Your are giving true report in channel 4. Rightnow, you know who is terrorists in Sri Lanka. LTTE IS A FREEDOM FIGHTERS. They are not terrorists.
I strongly believe that GOSL is lying and people at high positions are liers. Just recall that in January, February and March 2009 GOSL said only 70000 people are in the war zone (at that time 30 sq mtrs. was left). After that we saw atleast 200000 people coming out of the ware zone. Now GOSL says C4 is lying about the IDP camps! Any sensible person would not believe this.
Sri Lankan government with widespread reports in winning the prestigious broadcasting their action against the rebel movement, “Tamil Tigers” was successful. But in the media gezeichnente image is very doubtful, because: A free report is available in Sri Lanka, and critical journalists do not have to fear for their lives
The battles between the army and the LTTE Srilankas rebels demanding more and more victims – but that should not know: The government distributed only success stories and condemned the journalists in the country to silence.
Permits are exclusively success stories – A great joke!
as a non tamil and completely unbiased. i have to say that the tamils are clearly right and this can only be described in the same nature as the holocaust.the government doesnt want media there because it deoesnt want people to find out what is actually going on i.e getting rid of all tamils.
Hi
appreciate you and people like you.
Don’t show the world that you do not know any damn thing about whats happening in Sri Lanka.
The Government of Sri Lanka did the right thing to deport you guys for supporting terrorism
They got deported for supporting terrorism or for bringing out the truth?? You think this is some kind of joke that was put together?!?! I don’t think they would spend their time to post some make-believe video! Nick Walsh is just putting out the truth for all those who are too blind to see what is REALLY going on! Government shouldn’t have to kick them out for the reports that they made..Why do you think he kicked them out? Because maybe he doesn’t want the truth to come out?!?!?! Have you thought about it in that way?
What C-4 done is wonderful, you can’t fool all the people all the time.
This is what we are crying out for months.
So now C4 is working for LTTE as well .. Soon Sri Lankan will be the lonely place in earth.
how on Earth is reporting the truth about these awful conditions in the camps supporting terrorism?Channel 4 news are doing their duty by reporting what is actually happening…..they do not say anything about supporting terrorism.
In a way you can compare the Sri Lankan government to a toddler not getting what it wants when it goes shopping with it’s mother….what does the child do?…..stamps it’s feet!
You sound like another Rajapaksha clan – kill the innocent, hide the truth, expell the honest unbiased people, call the honest unbiased people terrorists and supporters of terror etc. etc.. I can go on for ever …
If you support the SL gov then you are supporting terrorism, STATE TERRORISM. WHich world are you living in? Maybe we should put you in the IDP camp for a couple of weeks, so you can first hand experience the pain the Tamils are encountering.
Majority of Sinhala People & the Government always think that the world doesn’t know what they are doing. If anyone find the truth about what’s exactly happens in Sri Lanka, They are LTTE. Everyone is proud of saying that he supports LTTE who are trying to save the Tamils from the Sinhala Mass muderers.
Nick, we reaaly appreciate. Well done, Keep it Up.
Just igmore the Sinhala mass murderers.
We will teach them very soon.
Ragu\
i think you did not listen what they brought out..they broght out whats happening inside the camp.they did not support terrorism. what do you think supporting tamil people is terrorism? or Bring out news against Srilanka is terrorism?
It takes hard work to investigate both sides to a story. The easy way out is to swallow hook line and sinker what is proffered in all likelihood by a mole. The conditions are awful, but not as awful as being shot dead by the tamil tiger terrorists for attempting to escape their clutches. Journalism would be better served if you were less gullible.
“You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here” WELL SAID Mr GOTABAYA. thats why 70% of sri lankan people elected you for protect our country from out side busters.
Why don’t you get your facts right. Sri Lankans did not elect Gotabaya. They elected his brother and ended up with the whole family at bargain price. For your information Gotabaya is a frustrated ssoldier who ditched the service when the going got tough and ran to USA and disowned his ‘Mother Lanka’ to get a green card.
yes of cause whtever he reported was true. are you an agent to ur soldiers to rape our womens? just think, if your sister or mother raped by some one. no point to tell this things because basically you are not humans
Just imgine you’r a tamil and your relatives been killed by Army.
off course, your soldiers are raping civilians. It’s 100% truth. what happened to Krishanthy?…….. your soldiers is not human.
It was a good story and worth being kicked out for!
Not a story but an ugly really!
its not story its the truth. truth will hurt a lot of people many times as it hurts u
you are a exalent truthfull
C4 news on the conflict in SL has been wanting on facts and devoid of normal standards of journalistic ethics and editorial integrity.
In one news broadcast Jon Snow referring to it mentioned ‘genocide’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’
Where JS obtained his facts to use these words to the events of what is taking place in SL one does not know. There is no extermination of the Tamil race, or any other race, in SL in the present conflict.
There is, however,a campaign by a democratically elected government to eradicate terrorism from its soil.
The Tamil Tigers are an internationally proscribed terrorist outfit hell-bent on trying to achieve for themselves an unrealistic goal of a State within a State. To achieve this it is not uncommon for them to kill their own people.
There has been ethnic cleansing in SL. That is when the Tamil Tigers either killed and/or destroyed Sihala and Muslim communities living in Jaffna, Tricomalee, Batticoloa to carve out for themselves an apparent exclusive Tamil homeland.
Tamils live all over the island and Colombo’s population comprises 38% Tamils. Big businesses are owned by them and the professions comprise many Tamils.
Any objective news gathering organisation committed to proper journalistic ethics and editorial integrity should have have these facts.
The use of ‘genocide’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’ lightly would only result in the currency attached to the words to lose their value.
The recent video footage, describing abuse,rape etc in the Vauniy camps with dubious silhouetted images,does not sit very comfortably with what has been described by the UN observers, UK Parliamentary delegation, FMs of UK & France et al.
In the circumstances the SL government is more than entitled not to renew the visa given to C4.
SL government need all the help it can get from outside. What it does not need is ill thought out news reporting from sanctimonious news channels devoid of proper journalistic standards and editorial integrity.
Do you think tamils are suporting to your ellected government or Do you think they ellected singlase leadership, the result is no, because we are alredy separated by our heart.
I watched your original report and to me it seems you have created it purposely.
although you were saying that “we managed to get a camera into the camps” i didnt see any of such type in the video. seems that so called ‘aid-workers’ were planted to give such statements to your news.
Those aid-workers claims were just words you were unable to show us any picture or video of their claims. so how can we believe their claims.
so for me it is not a news-flash that you and your team got expelled.
be more honest when reporting in next time!!!
They would only get expelled by a government like the Sri Lankan one cos the TRUTH HURTS!!!
I am sure Channel 4 news crew have more expertise in reporting the news than you would, so keep your biased opinions to yourself!
If you know anything about eithics behind taking coments from the public, without a consent from the particular person the reporter will not show their picture. Of course the person giving the report will not show his or her face if they do your government will kill them the next day. See what happend to Channel 4 reporters for showing their face. Why dont you learn civilisation and professionlism. Well done Channel 4 for doing such a good job.
Don`t u know, when reporter interviwed they have all the details
but they can not publish all the details
they r not lanka puvath
hi Nick, Thank you very much you and your Team to brought the honest report. to thi David, do u know what is actually going on the camp in Sri lanka, pls go and stay in the camp for cople of days with your sisters, then u willcan report the true and honest report.
if they show those pictures within next half an hour those who has reported will be kidnapped by the gothabaya’s thugs and killed.
U too from that generation, no point of talking all these to you
This is not true.I have been also working for human rights watch in once LTTE controlled areas.but the situation there was extreamly worst than now.woman try to be pregnant coz then LTTE won’t get them to the fightings.
which is not tyue.
THESE REPORTS , HOW CREDIBLE ARE THEY? THE WHOLE WORLD IS WAITING TO FIND FAULT WITH SRI LANKA, DONT YOU THINK THAT SL DESERVES SOME SORT OF PRAISE FOR WHAT SRI LANKA IS TRYING TO DO. HELP THE IDPS AND SAVE THE CIVILLIANS FROM THE CLUTHES OF LTTE. SPECIALLY WHEN YOU ACCUSE SOME ONE FOR SEXUAL ABUSE I THINK CHANNEL 4 SHOULD TAKE MORE RESPOSIBILITY TO FIND THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT THESE INCIDENTS BEFORE YOU BROADCAST THEM. I HOPE YOU WILL NOT BROADCAST ANY THIRD PARTY VIDEOS IN TH FUTURE,WHICH INCLUDE PEOPLE TALKING BEHIND . THE CAMERA AND GIVE SL AND ITS FORCES DUE RESPECT.
THANKYO
I am sure you are not in srilanka now and enjoy the real Democracy in west, thats why you have wrote this nonsense!!!
what channel 4 reported is just a 10% sorry not even 10% less than that the real thing happening is worst than a human can think.what is happening in real is not digestable by a normal human.
Nick, thank you for exposing what is really going on in the internment camps.
The Rajapaksa brothers are worried that they will have to face war crime charges one day. That is the reason the Channel 4 team was removed from the country.
If local journalists had done the same thing, they would have been murdered by now.
The country is fast becoming a tin-pot dictatorship.
The comedy from Colombo is getting more farcical by the hour!
The EU and the US should ACT NOW decisively instead of talking, because the regime in Colombo is taking everyone for a ride!
The EU and US do not need Sri-Lanka for anything and they should demonstrate they have the capacity to ACT against the regime.
Have you spoken to anyone that came from LTTE held areas. There were reports about LTTE shooting at people trying to escape. Were these stories true or fabrication by someone? Have you seen anyone who got injured by these shooting? Unless balance any reporter however, good they are will be descredited.
Can you say your comments with common sense please?
These people came from ares, yes, Where are they staying?Are They in their relative homes? Have some common sense next time please. Don’t you know whenever they give report ,the SLA stand beside them? How the hell they can talk about the truth about what was going on in the safe zone? Do not think they are fools enough not to realize what will happen to their life, definitly will end up in secret army detention camps and NOBODY knows how many of them were killed and burned so far, so that no proof in the futre.
Ludicrous journalism – why the British Channel 4 team deserved to be kicked out:
Their report seems to have been run without any reasonable verification with the numerous foreign aid workers in these camps. Organisations like UNHCR, Save the Children, ICRC, IOM etc are on the ground. Regardless of verification for the sake of journalistic ethics, they could have used some common sense.
How can dead bodies lie around just like that without the stench attracting these foreign aid workers or government officials? How can people live around stinking dead bodies? Have these journalists ever been around dead bodies which were not embalmed and which were a few days old?
In the Western culture, it is rare to see dead bodies, because of an almost pathological disassociation with death. So I can imagine how these naive journalists found these stories plausible.
I think very soon the British media will be the laughing stock of the world because they seem en masse removed from reality.
I’m afraid that you lack knowledge of the decay process of the human body and do not have the faintest concept of putting such process in the context of a war-camp. I can only hope that your comments stem from misinformation, not being a doctor, and sheer ignorance as to the state of the conflict in N. & E. Sri-Lanka. British tabloids are notorious for their gossip-content, but by the same token, The BBC and Channel 4 News are renowned for good journalism – as such I doubt that your irrational final paragraph has any ‘en masse’ support.
Why do you need verification? The fact that channel 4 was potraying the life of people in the camp according to residents. If you have a problem with what the inmate said then he is at fault not the reporter for conveying what they said. I do not think you are in a position to comment on the situation of the camps without first hand expirience. Just because you will not keep people in such a condition doesn’t mean others will not, for example the Nazi’s kept jews in camps just like these. Can you deny that jews were not living with dead bodies in Awschiwitz.
Do Sri lankans need political spin on peoples feelings so that it doesn’t hurt them?
Mr. N. P. Walsh and Channel 4 News are to be highly commended for exceptional reporting in circumstances that prevent free speech and journalism. The Sri-Lankan Government continues to act in defiance of all international requests, and indeed, it spits in the face justice and humanity. The Tamil community, the world-over, are grateful for the noble efforts of your network’s reporting-team.
Well what can I say Nick, first of all thank you for revealing the inhumane acts carried by the Sri Lankan forces on tamil civilians. Secondly, you have just experienced what hundreds of other journalists have experienced over the past 20 years but I would say you were one of the very lucky ones as you left before the government had the chance to do what they did to Lasantha Wickremutunge to do to you. Thats why I must congratulate you for not opting to stay in the bungalow they offered you because the government would have loved that and you could have been paid a visit by (the famous term used by the Sri Lankan police) ‘unidentified mask men in a white van.’ Sorry i know what I just said might sound a bit weird but thats what happens when the Sri Lankan forces know where you are once you have revealed the truth about them. I admire your courage and bravery to expose the unspoken truth behind the Sri Lankan government forces.
What you did was not a crime, you did your job and so did those who were with you – to reveal the truth. This is why the Sri Lankan government kill journalists because they dont want them to reveal the truth and this is why they wont allow them i to Sri Lanka.
Well done and wish you the best of luck in the future. Once again a SPECIAL THANK YOU FROM EVERYONE WHO WANTS SRI LANKA TO STOP KILLING INNOCENT TAMIL PEOPLE
All the world leaders are watching in silence a mass genocide.
You people have used the word “genocide” up to the limit where it has no meaning at all.Next time if you are not sure of the meaning of a word use a dictionary.And get your facts right. Yes all the world leaders should come forward and help Sri Lanka to wipe “terrorism” out and help save the civilians.
Nick,
You write “They need western money to fund these IDP camps”. I think you’ve got that wrong. Now they are more closer to Russia, China & Middle-East. So, the money mainly comes from those countries, not the West. This is the reason why they totally ignore Western diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. I think the West lost its clout in Sri Lanka a few years ago.
just imagine if you were a tamil what would have happened.
Yes, you could have been abducted by LTTE and turned into a human bomb.
Time for World to realise how Srilanka Govt. is manipulating things to get help for its Genocidal war which it has started in 1948 and killed 100s of thousands of Tamils. Time to look at the BBC Documentary to understand the root cause of the conflict
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1UnhPq8Pio&feature=PlayList&p=7A003872611B7F44&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArqcfDhHg9o&feature=PlayList&p=7A003872611B7F44&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvG5mPaTTj4&feature=PlayList&p=9DF8680B77E0AA76&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdg8AgweIgI&feature=PlayList&p=9DF8680B77E0AA76&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0YbWt3×3lc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1EabzDfvIo&feature=PlayList&p=9DF8680B77E0AA76&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=5
Nice single party overview. Let me make next series about what British did to Sri Lanka when they ruled it. BTW, what you want is to blast bombs in public places, buses, trains etc. by terrorists and kill civilians everyday? If you have real compassion over Tamils go and help those IDPs rather warming a seat and watching Youtube.
Such exceptional journalism, for which I am so grateful
Where your piece wonders if the camps are …”ethically a good idea or even beneficial to the humanitarian problems at the end of this bitter war made me wonder who ever thought the camps were a good, beneficial or hamunitarian thing and how they came to the conclusion that they were?
If war and internment are the way then the way is wrong.
Thanks for the exceptional and brave report.
If the allegations are true then there is no need of hiding these people behind the camera. If ITV showed faces of those people then the world can see how credible, efficient and effective the Sri Lankan police is.
How can the ITV trust these people’s statements/allegations? If there are large scale sexual harassments/ rapes and killings inside these camps then people would have riot against the management these camps. We haven’t heard any riots or etc.
Another allegation was, women are bathing in open areas. In Sri Lanka, men and women bath in open areas. I have never heard anyone’s feelings aroused by seen someone bathing in my life as women tend to bath wearing cloths unlike westerners whom they bath in nude.
As this is a high time for LTTE, all LTTE elements within these displace camps trying their best to discredit the government; other hand Government is taking extreme effort to stop such events.
What a foolish comment? Show their faces and get killed for talking out top the press about the modern day Nazi camps? Shouting an untruth from the rooftops for one hundred years cannot make it a truth. LTTE is an excuse for you people to wipe out Tamils from SL. Rajapakshe will be really unhappy the day the last Tiger is wiped out. Because then there is no excuse for mass shellings and killings. You people may fool yourselves, but not the rest of the world for a long time.
Mr. Walsh,
Thank you to you and your crew for your bravery in reporting on the atrocities taking place in the so-called “safe zone”. As a Sri Lankan Tamil, I am grateful for not only you bringing this story to light, but also exposing the un-democratic response of the GOSL.
I wish the US media would be as active in seeking the truth the way you did, instead of just sitting back and taking what is handed to them.
Nick your independently verified report is extremely hard to digest. Funny how your team was able to smuggle in a camera inside the camp yet failed to film all those claims such as abuses/dead bodies/sanitation..etc… Do you think even if you got access to the “No Fire Zone” you would be able to freely? LTTE will only want you to report what they want!
Just like you spent over 4 years in Russia, you should have spent the same amount in Sri Lanka and report exactly what is happening. You should have studied other such camps around the world before falsifying reports. Just because UK has the “Freedom of Information Act” which has allowed you guys to film without verification or accuracy doesn’t give you the right to do it in another country. Stay the hell away from Sri Lanka!
Nick,
I must say you are a lucky person because you are from Europe. Imagine, if you were a Sri Lankan, you would have been killed by unidentified men by now for reporting the truth, like the Sunday Leader Editor and other several Sri Lankan journalists. Whoever telling the truth are supporters of the LTTE and have been bribed by the LTTE! It is the Sri Lankan Govt who is telling the truth. For example, it said in the beginning that there were only around 60,000 civilians in the conflict zone. Now, there are nearly 200,000 refugees who are detained in the so called intern camps. I wonder where they came from!!! Only the Sri Lankan govt would know.
SL government should take full responsibility if this is true. Many of my friends try to help these camps and they told me this is not true. Even a British MP said this is not true. SL or any government including US and UK has no rights to kill people. I was wondering why ch 4 did not go to Iraq and Afgan. And also how many terrorist attacks happened in Colombo and other areas? Thousands of people were killed by these terrorist attacks. CH 4 did not say one word. Don’t you see us as human? SL majority hate both war and terrorism. We have suffered for more than 25 years. CH 4 did not come to help us. I saw a SL newspaper report today and it says that tigers sent CH 4. It has all the details (who sent them, who distributed CH 4 CD around the world). There is no doubt everyone should have equal rights. This is not only a SL problem. ALL south asian countries have this. We should find solutions but in a peaceful way. Not by killing innocent people. Terrorist attacks were brutal and they used barbarian methods to kill innocent people.
“A shameful organized crime, for the first time in contemporary history, has been registered in the behaviour of the international media in abetting the genocide, and not covering it. Now they are busy in spinning yarns with the captured civilians.
Thank you, for your courage in bringing out the facts from the “War without Witness”, under the garb of war on terror by so called democratically elected racist Sri Lankan government.
thank you for your hard work and letting the world now the truth.
please keep up the good work
On one hand, Nick’s report seemed very ‘tabloidish’. He was making some serious allegations based on the words of two people. Given the nature of this propaganda war, more research should have been conducted.
I can see why the SL Defence minstry was angered by these allegations, but a democratic govt shouldn’t ‘deport’ any reporters – even the silly ones.
Dear Nick The whole Tamil community in the world is saying thanks to you ! You have done a great job. Sri Lanka and Sinhalese are totally lost their mind and acting like fools. Evryone knows that what will happen to those fools anway. Keep up your good work and we expect more from you. Once again thanks a lot for you great effort. Sri Lankan soldiers are very well famous for raping. Specially children. Good example is Haiti.But Tamils and Tamil Tigers are not like UN to send them safely back to Sri Lanka. They will send those ill minded rapist to hell. So you wait and see !
Thank you Mr. Walsh for risking your life to report on this. In reading all of the posted comments it’s sad, disheartening & frustrating to see that there are still so many people around the globe who are supporting the government. How is this possible when it’s clear that they are trying to kill off innocent Tamils? How is this possible when its clear that they’ve got something to hide??
I have not heard an article held together by more flimsy and weak data until C4’s recent Sri Lanka news reports, by Nick Paton Walsh.
I realise that gathering information is difficult, but I think the British public deserve better than this. Impressive to hear that you got some cameras into the camps, well why then are all your clips from Tamilnet?
Tamilnet is consistently pro Liberation of Tamil Tigers of Elam (LTTE), and allegedly has funding arms and links to the LTTE. Yet C4 has no issues with releasing pictures from this source. One wonders about the credibility of all your other sources.
What measures has C4 taken to ensure that it is not reporting statements that the LTTE want C4 to be making?
May I suggest that C4 follow the SL government and give Nick Paton Walsh the boot too, to make way for more credible and scholarly journalism that we have previously been accustomed to.
I have to commend the channel 4 news crew to attempt to shed light on the corruption and inhumane acts of the Sri Lankan government and its military forces. As a Tamil residing oversease I find it VERY frustrating to think that I am from a country where the GOVERNMENT are getting away with such atrocities despite all the international sources putting pressure on. It is unbelievable to think such uncivilised acts are continuing in this day and age!!
Nick and crew, I know that SL Gov say that your report has brought a bad name to the country but in light of what is happening, they are doing that themselves!!
As Siva wrote in the last comment, just be thankful you are not from Tamil heritage, for sure they would have killed you all on the spot!
Thank you Nick Walsh for exposing the true status of the camps. The people living in the camps, unless speaking anonymously, will always say that the camp is good.
I have relatives in the camp, who have houses elewhere in Jaffna, money in the bank and relatives abroad who will help. But the Govt is holding them so they could get money from the West. The Govt should realise that they can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.
Dear Channel 4 News,
Sincere thank you and kudos to you for managing to report from Sri Lanka of the realities that the Tamil civilians are facing there. This needed to get out to the World.
Your ejection from the country and the manner in which it was carried out, speaks volumes of the attitude of the Sri Lankan authorities and its callousness towards anyone that does not support its dirty war.
We hope for future endeavours to get to the truth of the matter and hope that other journalists and media sources can be as dedicated to reporting the realities on the ground there. All we are asking for is that Western journalists can come there and report so the rest of the World can makes up their own minds. So far, the Govt of Sri Lanka are not willing for that to happen…and I think we all know why.
Incidentally, Tamil News stations are reporting 3000 civilian deaths today alone (Sunday 10th May).
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29318
Thank you.
yes that news comes straight from the LTTE so must be the TRUTH…what a Joke!!
I think you guys need to ignore some of the comments written here by what seems to be PRO governmental individuals who seem to think it is normal to let the Holocaust recur. If the credibility of the report is at question, tell the damn government to LET THE MEDIA IN AND LET THE TRUTH OUT!!!!
do you want to ask that from your friends LTTE?
Your government are the terrorists!!!!!!
I am glad Nick and his team got out of Sri Lanka safely. It is a ruthless regime which has either killed or intimidated journalists for being unbiased. This is a courageous piece of journalism. The decent people of Sri Lanka thank you.
I am sure the SL government is hell bent on destroying the Tamil culture and their people. It is Sad, but true. Any government who does not allow international monitors, media to have access to a war – is HIDING their atrocities. It is wrong and the International Community must act before it is too late. The Rajapakse brothers own million dollar homes in the USA and other parts of the world, while the poor SL souls have nothing to eat. The only way to bring peace in SL is to send UN forces and bring about justice to those who are affected by the racist Rajapakse’s and his thugs.
I am a proud sinhalese and a buddhist, who left SL about 10 years ago.
Zenan Bandara
How refreshing and pleasing it is to read your comments. Your sense and rationality is a good example to other Sinhalese folk.
Thank you Nick and your team for your excellent coverage. You were the only voice there for all those voiceless people. That’s the reason you were kicked out from the country. There are reports coming out today that over 3000 civilians got killed within 12 hours time by the SL government forces. And there are no free media allowed to give the first hand information on this carnage.
SL government leaders should be brought to face the war-crime charges.
Thank you for reporting to the world the inhumane treatment of tamils that is going on in Sri Lanka. We need the world to stop this mass genocide from continuing. Innocent tamil people are being killed..and what for? simply for being tamil. Thank you channel 4 for broadcasting this piece.
I am an Indian Tamil in UK. My sincere thanks to the channel 4 team for exposing the atrocities committed by the srilankan army and the governmant. It is sad that i have to know all these news from British media, aljazeera etc while the Indian Media completely hides the truth for obvious political reasons.
I feel very sorry for my Srilankan Tamils and convey my apologies for being unable to prevent these atrocities on behalf of India and the International community.
Once again my sincere thanks to the channel 4 team.
Thankfully the journalists were not the citizens of Sri Lanka; else instead of being deported their fate would have been similar to that befell Lasantha Wickrematunga, “Taraki” Sivaram, and several other journalists.
well said
NICK, YOU WERE BIASED & SUPPORTING THE TERRORISTS. YOU MUST OBEY THE LAW OF THIS COUNTRY, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DO WHAT YOU CAN NOT DO IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE DEFENCE SECREATRY’S DECISION TO EXPEL YOU FROM SRI LANKA. YOU DESERVE IT VERY WELL. AT LEAST NOW WE HAVE A DEFENCE SECRETARY WHO KNOWS HIS JOB & MOREOVER WHO HAS A BACK BONE TO CALL A SPADE BY IT’S NAME. THANK YOU MR. GOTABHAYA RAJAPAKSE.
LAW, what do you mean by LAW, Srilankan Sinhalese dont have rights to talk about Law,
That day is a black day for All Sri lankans , Bcoz, of your Defence SEC….
Who is terrorist? Gotabhaya Rajapakse are terrorist. please do not support terrorists.
I’m ashamed to be a Sinhalese. tamils have been done injustice from Day1 of independence. When UDHR has celebrated 60 yrs there should be a meaning for oppressed ethnic minorities around the world – that means the world should understand what internal colonialism means. Then only the complex knots of the deadliest conflict in Sri lanka can be untied and tamils can be served justice.
60 years of structural violence of successive governments forced LTTE to be so monstrous. Even this monstrosity has not succeeded in producing any change in the structural violence of the so-called Buddhist Republic.
When you remove a bacteria or virus only you can remove the symptoms.
It’s futile to remove the symptoms when you don’t want to get rid of the cause.
Soma, please note Gothabaya Rajapakse and Basil Rajapakse were not elected but came back from the US when their brother Mahinda Rajapakse got power.
While the world focus is on Vanni and Vavuniya, the rest of the Northeast of Sri Lanka is also as bad judging by the latest report(16 april 2009) by International Crisis Group and many others. The whole of Northeast has been out of bounds for journalists for more than thirty months:
LIVING LETTERS TEAM TO SRI LANKA(AUGUST 2007) is part of the initiative, Decade Overcoming Violence(DOV), of the World Council of Churches in its report:
1.”We came away from Sri Lanka with mixed feelings – inspired by the commitments of the churches and of human rights activists to work for peace and reconciliation and to be a voice of courage in a very difficult context; saddened by the many signs of suffering and violence we saw around us; and disheartened by the lack of political will to find real solutions to the 25 year old war. Please call on the churches all over the world to pray for us, was a message the Living Letters Team heard over and over again.”
2.The murdered(8 January 2009) journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge’s self-obituary titled, ”And then they came for me”, says:
”…. it is more important to address the root causes of terrorism, and urged government to view Sri Lanka’s ethnic strife in the context of history and not through the telescope of terrorism. We have also agitated against state terrorism in the so-called war against terror …. Sri Lanka is the only country in the world routinely to bomb its own citizens. Violating the rights of Tamil citizens, bombing and shooting them mercilessly, is not only wrong but shames the Sinhalese, whose claim to be custodians of the dhamma is forever called into question by this savagery, much of which is unknown to the public because of censorship ….”.
This has been a war without reporters for more than a few decades because of periodic press censure at crucial times.
‘How Can People Say This is Peace?’
by Stephanie Nolen, The Globe and Mail, Canada, January 27, 2009
”Eastern Sri Lanka chafes under the oppressive rule of a government that says it is committed to democracy.”
The people that are talking crap about this report are the ones that don’t want the truth out!!! This is the actual truth, it’s not some made up video. Some people might think why would people be staying around the dead bodies that stinks. Well that’s because they have nowhere to go!! If you think that this is some kind of joke, mabe then you people should try living in that area. For one thing you don’t know what is going on, therefore you cannot say that this evidence is not VALID!!! THIS IS THE ACTUAL TRUTH IN WHAT IS GOING ON BACK IN SRI LANKA!!! Thank you Nick Walsh for putting this video out! Hopefully now the WORLD won’t be BLIND!!
All I want to say is “Thank You” for having the courage to report what you found on the ground. If there are more people like you, this tragedy could have been prevented.
The SL Govt and the Singhalese people who elected them feel ‘guilt’ and as such have much to hide. By creating a total media black out, they will go on creating havoc in the lives of Tamils. Rest assured, all the souls that have died through such atrocious measures would not have rested and will come back to haunt those who propogated this war against Tamils.
SL explain to the world the purpose of the IDP camps – why can’t the civilians re-settle, or is you plan to settle others there so these people will have no home to return to.
History will never forgive you.
Mr Walsh, You must have been taken on a con ride by a so called ‘person with a camera’ ! how much actually did you pay for him? how much were you paid for supporting LTTE media propaganda?
There are alot of inconvincing facts presented in this telecast. I’ve discussed this in http://bit.ly/RPFPQ
Nick and Team – What an admirable job, keep it up. You were just deported because you were British, if it was a Sri Lankan journalist team, they would have been floating dead in one of the Colombo rivers. Free press is one of the pillars of modern democracy.
Am worried about the victim, the aid workers who manage to talk even wihout showing their face. im sure they are already killed by the GR, Army.
truth hurts.
Nick!
How much did LTTE pay to produce that report?
Hello,chamila
How much did TERRO STATE (SRI LANKA) pay for you to write this Comment?
NONSENSE!!!
Exactly what I was thinking…you sound like you are on LTTE payroll. If you want to be recognised for your work do it right. Would you have done that programme if it was against your soldiers and what they are doing in Afghanistan? I bet not, you are just another hypocrite of the west!
How many people in your group to support the governemnet and hide the truth. stop writting the comments.
JUST BE HAPPY U ARE STILL ALIVE NOT LIKE LASANTHA THE REPORTER WHO WAS KILLED FOR SPEAKING AGAINST SHIT LANKA GOVERNMENT.THANK GOD!! IMAGINE FATE OF OTHER TAMIL REPORTERS THERE
Nick Paton Walsh,,, Thanks a lot for you to open the western country’s’ eyes. Now all could realize what is actually happening in Sri Lanka. If it is happening to you (Non Sri lankan Tamil), suppose how much pain the Tamils are suffering from the brutal government. For some war devils, the brutal SL government and it soldiers may appear as heroes but for the Tamils who suffering from them, they (SL gov & it’s soldiers) are bloody animals
All who have praised Nick’s report are LTTE sympathizers mostly tamils – tamils in sri lanka dont need an Eelam, tamils abroad do. Because they dont have a country, but thats not sri lanka’s problem they took weapons against a democratic state and went in to terrorist actions and suicide attacks, the government in sri lanka is a democratically elected government – and has more than 80% of the country’s people on its side. People are not being cruel to tamils, its the LTTE who have slaughtered their own people for the money from tamils abroad., just because they want a country. And they;ll never get it – in sri lanka.
About the report its full of utter rubbish you people never visited vavuniya those videos never showed any people of hunger, nor any bodies that were left for 3 days…even if people die its not the job of aid workers/armed forces to bury them, its where they live even for a short period and government gives them food, so why cant they bury their dead? i dont see a point in your allegations. First of all SLA is a professional army and includes trained soldiers from battle camps around the world. No army in the world defeated a terrorist organisation and rescued more than 180,000 people ALIVE till SLA did it! and you keep on accusing THEM of rapes, robbery …etc every single trooper is looked after by the government and has more resources than a normal person in sri lanka so why rob? you dont have any evidence to support what you;ve said all are like allegations made by tamilnet.com — offer your resources to them if in need SLA wont stop until the last terrorist is dead. And the tamils all over the world can find a another place to make their EELAM
thank you
Thank you so much Nick for reporting the truth from the front line. If you were a Srilankan you would have been murdered. Last two days they have murdered over 2000 civilians and the count goes on, the effects of these killings will be felt for decades to come in Srilanka, the sinhalese people who support this racist government are going to suffer for ever. They murdered 3000 civilians in 1983, for which they paid for 25 years. Now they have murdered over 10,000 innocent civilians, for which we dont know how long they are going to suffer
just imagine if you were a tamil what would have happened.
Hi
Actually this about the comments.
out of average 110-120 voters of those previous comments(any) close 80 votes in favor of Sri Lankan government.
Which means SL gov. propaganda machine (Media Centre for National Security of Sri Lanka) does hard work on …even here in Channel 4 comments area.
Thanks
This News has to be spreaded, if not when LTTE is destroyed then there will be no future for this people.
The STUPID Sri Lankan goverment, don’t have any interest on the welfare of this people.
When Ego shows up, then the bad news is coming……. Mr Gotabaya and bros….. your time is not far to go home or Haig.
Hey Nick
you want to be come popular go find somehting else to lie about. If you talk about genocide against the tamils in SL guess you have not been to Colombo the capital. Go around the hear of the city, Fort and Pettah areas or even other suburbs around Wellawatta and see how many tamils live there, send children to school, run businesses etc. For the past 25 years there was no way a sinhala speaking person could have set foot into Killinochi or any of the other places under the LTTE control.
Therefore it would be apprecaited if you stop reporting lies like this.
May I suggest that you talk about how the UK government is allowing supporters of a proscribed terrorist group protest on the streets of london and cause so much damange to public property.
Would the citizens of the UK stand by and watch a group of people waving pictures of the taliban running around the streets of london?
Mate the LTTE is a terrorist group who have killed a number of top tamil poltiticians and leaders and they are not a representative of the tamil. Have a look at even Karuna who was an LTTE leaderhim self running the eastern provice realize that what Prabhakran was doing was not right and moved over to the democratic process of ruling a group of people. The offer was made a number of times to Prabhakaran but he chose to fight. Would love to see if the UK gvt would have negotiatied with the military wing of the IRA in the days gone by !!!!
Wish you the best of luck in what ever place you next report from.
Action from Govt of Sri Lanka was to deport them is completely incorrect. They shold have brought the C4 Crew before the courts and treat law of the country. Shouldn’t have send them freely.
My aunt died yesterday becuase of this war along with my uncle and a few of my cousins. The way my family are grieving is the same as how all tamil families are grieving. This is what people call ‘ethnic clensing’ Thankyou channel 4 for showing part of the truth. But there is a lot lot more behind this bloody war. Thats why you were deported, the govenrment wants money not for its camps but the hundreds of shells that it drops on srilankas safe zones. This war will not stop until tamils get freedom and I as a tamil will not rest until that day comes.
All Sri Lankans are aware that you guys come here to sell news and show extra ordinary stories to cheat the world. It’s well known that journalists like you are always heavily paid by terrorists for each story damaging sri lanka’s image. You must be pay gratitude to police and security for protecting you. You are shameless journalists who will sell even your mother for dollars. It’s true that there is no job in UK now, and only way to survive is this type of underground journalists. If you are really open to the world, I challenge you publish this.
Is MR Rajapakse the minsiter of defence ? he sounds like a small angry dog.
Well done channel 4 news it was a nice report!!
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090510_09
http://tamilsagainstgenocide.org/
It brings tears to my eyes hearing the stories….we are being held captive in our own land….God bless u for publishing this report
Ch 4 Thanks for try to “help Sri lanka ”
but i tell you what we are not a British Colony any more. soooo … you know what i am talking about Tthak you
Nick,
Don’t ever come back.
The IC criticized GoSL for not giving permission to enter war zone. This is not surprising b’se no one else other than armed persons in defence can go there. So prevention of going to an unsafe zone is seen as a violation of media freedom. When they were given limited access, and escorted there with safety, their mission is to fault finding; if there is nothing like that, they fabricate stories refering to anonymous sources. Anyone can do that; You dont have to be a journalist to do that. Pro-LTTE diaspora is doing that all the time. What I cant understand that how blind they are not to see what efforts the GoSl and its forces are taking to cope up with laks of refugees and thier needs day by day. It is the Govnt which spend the last of the penny they have to provide food and shelter to these poor people; surely not those so called aid workers. It is the govt forces that cook the meals for these people, not those so called aid workers who show up at these camps with vested interests to look at people and show that they are the saviours. Our own sri lankan people are helping these refugees with whatever they can send. How can a fair and justifiable journalism not see these good efforts. Channel 4 deserves to be kicked out, BECAUSE their mission, possibly paid by pro-LTTE lobbists, is to find/ fabricate faults that will discredit the GoSL and its forces.
To international community .no point to set up international war crime tribunal later. Act now to stop the war and save the people. Even Sinhala MPs and journalist are not allowed to go . Anybody can immagine whats going on
Thanks to CH-4 News team and their hard working, as we know now srilankan government don’t any body know about their killing on Tamil. People with human being not going to watch those people killed by srilankan army every day. Every one must avoid going to srilanka and not use Airlanka as well. Srilankan government and army must be punished for their killings on Tamil people. World must act now to stop those killings. After all Tamil people were killed in srilankan next they want to kill all Minority Muslims people as well, so we need to act now to stop all this killings.
Chanel-4 news is the role model to rest of the media and i want to thanks to CH-4 for team for their hard working in srilanka and from this news and the way they been kicked out from srilanka show the world how the srilankan government treat forging media people, so no wonder srilankan government killed so many Local media people, srilanka is the worst country in this planet for media and media freedom. From this we know srilankan government have something to hide, which is the truth about its killings on Tamil people. World must act fast to stop those killings by srilankan army. Srilanka is the only government in this world killing its own people at this modern time. All community people must act fast to save those people life. Even Singhalese/Muslim people must act fast to stop those killings; end of the day every one is human and their life has no value. People must act with Good Human being and the World must punish srilankan government for its killings and use food and Medicine as a weapons. Srilankan is the last country to be punishing for its killings (Tamil people) in this world. Srilankan government must free all media people and let UN to access all part of srilanka.
chanel 4 is loosing their name as the result of brodcasting lies
this journalists are not came to here report true in the past days ,LTTE ’s bloody works done
sucide attacks on civilians and many more
This team was paid by LTTE for fabrication of Sri Lankan Situation. Tabloid journalists deserve the verdict. Well done Gotabaya. We love you.
Watch out! Cat’s getting out of the bag. Singhala lion can’t be hidden in the bag for too long. All this time the world thought it is a nice old puddy tat.
I also watched the program on the C4. It seemed to be the story and refugee’s statements were orchestrated. Some young journalist would do anything to make a name for themselves…
Incredible statements are made of dead bodies remaining unattended for days…… Girls being removed from the camps……children trampled while waiting in queues…… lack of food and water…..sexual abuse. No complaint of such nature has been made by any person to anybody until the arrival of the foreign journalist from Channel 4.
The question that begs to be asked is, why did these so called Aid Workers not report these allegations to their employers? How come they waited for Channel 4’s Nick to arrive? Shady to say the least..I doubt Channel4 will now gain access to any countries with conflicts.
u asking why aid workers did not report? if they did, they would have been killed the next second! dont u wonder why the aid workers were hiding their faces on the report? because if the government finds out who ever is telling the truth, the aid workers have to count their mins to die!
I like your interpretation of what the person below actually said in the video: good qualities of a tabloid reporter.
“Keheliya Rambukwella – who on camera … reminded us this was a new camp and instances of such abuse could be expected in any population of a hundred thousand people.”
G’dayMate where were you when LTTE massacred thousands and evicted Muslims and inhalese from their homes?dont act like you are a snag short of a barbie mate,LTTE even kill their own people(TAMILS).yes there are casualities in a war but the way you report it makes us think you are biased.remember LTTE is a terrorist organisation that only resort to violence,thay have eliminated prominent tamil figures that threatened psychopathic terrorist leadership.think before you write stuff.anyone can make up stories mate.the LTTE propaganda machine must spend well eh.you may chose to post this or delete it.either way we dont like you being biased.
Well done Nick,
What you reported is true & there are many more veiled truths. Since you are a foreigner you were sent back home for reporting. If we talk anything about this in Sri Lanka the Government will murder us. What we worry is nobody is willing to help us in this situation to stop the war & save us from this Government. It is better to kill all of us at same time than killing little by little. Nobody can realize the pain in our hearts than the God but He too keeps silent.
You are brave and honest!!!
Thanks Nick for doing such a good job and I feel very sorry for what happen to you for telling the truth and your genuine intention to help the Tamil People. We had many journlist like you in our Tamil community too but we lost almost all of them. On behalf of many tamil we shall salute you and hope you dont give up on us, please dont we dont have many shoulders to cry at the end. Ignore all the negative comments here, few people just dont want to tolerate the truth. How shall we live with them? Thanks mate.
THANK YOU FOR SHOWING THE TRUTH.
As a complete outsider, reading some of the above comments absolutely bewilders me. Nick, all i can say is thank you for exposing the truth about what is happening in those camps. What you and your team did was a very noble act. If the Sri Lankan government did not have anything to hide, you would still be there. But the fact is, they do.
please dont support to terrorism. what did uk army do in Irque Afganisthan so please dont help them let them (SLARMY) to finish LTTE.
First of all you have to know who is terrosist?
if LTTE is terrosist then who is SL army? are they freedom forcess? freedome meand raping and killing?
I have only few questions,
1) Why couldn’t you manage to get at least a single evidence what you say so truth?
2) If you recorded these without noticed by military, how come all policemen and soldiers present in those videos?
3) Why Channel 4 has fallen into a level that just reporting anything that said by anybody, where is the credibility?
Nick, Please don’t try to create stories and headlines based purely on what you hear. It takes more than a few weeks or months to understand the allegiances of those whom you source information.
Have you ever wondered why journalists from more popular news channels don’t attempt to cover frontline news from Sri Lanka. It is not because they cannot, most often, it is because they do not want to report incorrect facts and spoil their reputation. Most of these journalists have had the intellect to figure this out, in your case you learnt it the hard way, either way I think this should be taken positively think twice before acting in the future.
Well said bro. Nick next time you come to me, I’ll teach you what journalism is.
hi nick
if this international community cannot belive an independent reporter like you
what else will make them to belive whats happening in srilanka
i have never seen a minister like gothapaya the way he talks the body languge;
he will be nice villan character if he play a role in cinema
thanks nick
All this information and still the western world is silent to the suffering of the tamil people.
Why they not report the Sri Lankan citizens in south collecting foods, bottled waters and all the goods for the people escaped from ruthless LTTE clutches?
Why they not reporting LTTE shooting innocent civilians they try escape from LTTE terrorism?
Why they not showing the revealed arms hide by LTTE?
Is this British journalism?
They don’t report on citizens in the south collecting food for distribution because these displaced people do not need the southern srilankans sympathy. They just want to be outside of these camps so that they can buy their own food and have clean clothes. The citizens in the south cann’t buy their own food with the food prices rocketing never mind helping others.
Because not much of that is happening perhaps?!
By reading some comments, I can understand how people are supporting state terrorism and calling Channel 4 for supporting terrorist. In Srilanka if you’re against the government then you’re LTTE no matter what. Now the world can see what the Tamils put up with. Also again thanks those Rajapaksha & co to prove the rest of the world that how they’ll treat the reportors.
First, I have to say Thanks to Nick. Because, No one didn’t bring what is going on in Srilanka. Every day Tamil people face lot of problem in Srilanka. The Srilankan Govt says Tamil people who came to their area are very happy. This isnot true. I know that people are facing so many problems and not happy. All countries are very silence. I don’t why. Now, BBC Channel 4 is saying tamil people problem. I am littlebit happy.
Again, thanks to BBC Channel 4 & Mr Nick. Please carry on your duty. Tell the truth to the world. Thanks in deed
Dear gentle man, tell us anything that is useful to save that innocent people.We are ready to do anything if that would save that people
I belive Channel 4 should more responsible before telecast these kind of sensible news. LTTE use each oppertunity to harm the image of Sri Lanka in this instant. You should know the ground situations in Sri Lanka to avoid this kind of traps. I have worked in North and I know you can find handfull of LTTE bias aid workers.
VERY BIG THANK YOU NICK FOR BRINGING THE TRUE PICTURE OF SRI LANKAN GENOCIDE OF TAMIL PEOPLE
CAT CAN CLOSE ITS EYE AND DRINK THE MILK(IN SRI LANKAN CASE DRINGING TAMILS BLOOD),BELIEVING WORLD CANT SEE .YOU CLOSED YOUR EYE NOT THE WORLD.
HOW DARE YOU CAN SAY MEDIA REPORTER IS PAID TO SUPPORT LTTE.TRUTH HURTS THE GUILTY MINDED PEOPLE
Nick be honest. can u swear infront of ur god that what u have reported was true? (i think u need to make a confession) can u do that? you might have spent your holiday in a luxoury hotel in colombo in a sunny beach. just want to tell few things that happen because of LTTE terrorists not only tamil people Sinhalese, muslims and all other Srilankan citizens died from suiside attacks. if u need proof ask from innocent widows, mothers who lost their children. also i would like to ask u something what whould your country might do if some group who lives in your country request a separate part from britain? what if they start a terrorist group? what if they start to kill british civilians? i am preety sure u would not want to support for that. do you still want to report the same way like u did while you were in our country? some ltte supportive assylum seekers live in your country with fear if the srilanka war ends they have to come back to srilanka and they think they will loose their luxury lives in UK. those tamils who claims to love srilanka soo much and still support ltte did not even send at leat a 1 pence to buy a rice packet to show their kindness to thier own people. srilanka government and all the srilankan citizens still paying out their own pockets to send donations including foods, clothes medicine. nick stay away from our mother land. we do not have haterait for any one. we are not babarians. we love srilanka just like the same way how you love your country. u cannot have a sympathy for our country more than us srilankans. you did not even born their. u did not suffer from ltte attacks. u did not lost any of your family members because of ltte attacks. you cannot even speak sinhala language or tamil language. you do not even understand our culture. finally you do not understand the love that we have for our mother land. please do not bother about our mother land please do worry about your country. there are so many thing you need to worry about in your country. your country has a major problem with knife crimes among school kids and alcholic problems and garbage problems job losses… etc. lots of things to report. be a true british and love your own country and save your young genaration from alchohol and obesity. then you will become a great a journalist. wish u all the best.
you are correct, europien need only one thing make bloddy mony seling our tear. they cant see what they done in iraq,afganistan. how they teach us about hospitality, we are proudly sri lankan and we are buddist we know how to take care about our peoples.
Well done Nick! Only by the courage and professionalism of reporters like you the truth comes out. Sri Lanka wants to carry out this mass killing, uprooting and ethnic cleansing without any witnesses hence the reason they ejected all the aid workers, humanitarian agencies, media and independent observers. Let us not pontificate about what to call this- genocide, ethnic cleaninsing and so on. The reality is hundreds of people are being killed, more wounded, many more displaced and ended up in Srilanka’s internment camps. This has to stop. The srilankan rulers will one day have to face the music at the International Criminal Courts.
Excellent report by Nick Walsh. Finally, an impartial report from a journalist instead of the usual government arranged show tour of the camps. Thank you! It was very brave of Nick Walsh to go in there and write that story. If the government treats a foreign journalist this bad, its not hard to imagine what they would be willing to let happen in the camps.
How come Nick Walsh and Channel 4 are not reporting on the high number of civilian and child casualties that are resulting from the US led air strikes in Afghanistan?
Is it simply because when the bombing is done by a western country it’s justifiable as collateral damage?
Typical double standards and crocodile tears from the western press agencies!
Because they are ALLOWED to go an report there if they want. The GoSL have something to hide and wont allow any media there thats why they feel the urge to go and find out!!! Deal with the truth mate..
How much did you get from Terro state (Sri Lanka)? to make this comment
Suthan
i don’t see any differrence in LTTE & Channel 4 ( because C4 explosives are used by LTTE). I haven’t seen such a shameless act from britsh other than taking control of ceylon in 1815.
Thank you for highlighting some of the devastation in Sri Lanka at the moment. I think the GoSL’s reaction to your report shows exactly what the leaders are like – keeping their dirty work secret and pretending everything is above board. Please keep up your reporting, we need more journalists like you to help the innocent civilians.
100% Truth
Mr.N.P.Walsh and Channel 4 team. Thank you. This is the actual situation in sri lanka. Western countries should identify who are terrorists. Please understand GOSL doesn’t like truce. Western nationals please realize,
CONGRATULATIONS TO CH.4 TEAM FOR YOUR BRAVE COVERAGE.ATLEAST YOU SHOW TO THE WORLD HOW BRUTAL SRI LANKA GOVERNMENT.WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ALLOW THEIR REPORTERS ONLY IN WAR ZONE.THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY ALLOW FREE REPOTERS THE TROUTH WILL COME OUT.RAJABAKSE BROTHERS ARE THE REAL TERRORISTS .EVEN WORSE THAN HITTLER.
One sided reporting is not journalism. It is called BUSINESS. Making money at any cost to others seems the order of the day in order to sustain the profit machine. I trust Channel 4 will also report on the success of the resettlement of displaced persons in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka, where the chief minister is a former LTTE child soldier. I wonder if that could happen in the west?
Do you know what terrorism is? If LTTE Starts to be a terro Organisation, NO SINHALA RACIST WILL LIVE IN SRI LANKA….. Keep it in your mind.
Congratulations Nick on a wonderful program which has further exposed the atrocities conducted by the Sri Lankan government against the Tamils . I hope that you will continue to expose the Government of Sri Lanka for what it is—a racist and rogue State , bent on exterminating the Tamils under the guise of crushing the Tigers. I dont see any difference between the Tigers and the Sri Lankan Government- both are involved in terrorism. It is very sad that the international community is not taking strong actions against Sri Lanka but only talking about it.
Just to say that I watch Channel 4 news everyday as they show the most reliable and unbiased news in the UK. Nick, thank you for this report. It’s great to see journalists doing real journalism: exposing the truth and making unheard voices heard!!!!!!
There is no freedom in Sri lanka. The people don’t no the meaning of freedom including opposition party. If you moun about freedom, we label you as terrorist.
Our people trying to get most out of this bloody conflict our forces arn’t execption. Please give us more money. please…………
If u are real journalists u may publish this.what you have played in Sri Lanka
is clearly explained here.Just have a look.
http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090510_09
100% LTTE voice
your voice also goverment voice
No ravindri. C 4 is not a responsible channel. They try to see the dark side of issues always and their utmost objective is making money and making people watch their channel. So they would do any immoral thing to make money. There had been similar instances in the past. One is Madeline Macan case where they made a few millions by showing pseudo sympathy. If they are truly concerned about children that go missing, how many more instances are there in the UK itself and how many more are there in the world?
I thank you and the team for doing such a courageous thing.
People who have commented about where the report was filmed and accused you of supporting terrorism are just missing the point. As usual they have always missed the point during last 30 years and even before that.
The point is as a journalist you have reported your findings and revealed the truth and would not have gained anything by reporting lies. The truth is clear. No matter how many statement is release by the government such as we are in the mission of rescuing the people. At the end the freedom has been taken away from Tamils.
I don’t believe in taking sides. I believe that human lives should be respected and human rights should be preserved. Failing this they have failed to act as humans.
Karan,
You may go and fight with Prabhakaran now without talking aboiut common sense of others if you are truly concerned about the Tamils in Sri Lanka. I think you will also have a fabulous future with Prabhakaran in the limited area that he is being trapped. Whole of Sri Lanka will look after the innocent Tamils while you can look after the enemy of Tamils (but sadly it would be for a very short period).
I believe Nick Paton Walsh was reporting the truth, what has he got to gain as an outsider telling lies about the Sri Lankan government in such vulnerable times? If he wanted a story isn’t it easier to slate the LTTE? Everyone else does? The government has cleverly banned him from the country and is not allowing other international reporters in to the country either. Doesn’t this strike people as odd? If people are in “safe zones” and are being treated well, then why not allow the international community in to see this? Why not allow humanitarian aid into these camps? What have the government got to hide? Surely if the government are winning the war this means they have wiped out the LTTE, so why then can’t people leave these camps and go back to their homes? Why keep them imprisoned for the next 3 years?
The international community need to think logically and not be blinded by a so-called democratic nation! Why is the Sri Lankan government being allowed to do this? In years to come we will look at this and see that the Tamils were failed by the international community! We talk about the holocaust, this is comparable. We have innocent civialians in camps who are being starved, interrogated, raped and murdered! I am utterely disappointed with the international community for not doing anything so far. Rajapakse and his government need to be tried for crimes of war!
What needs to happen:
1. Immediate cease fire
2. Access to aid and humanitarian organisations to Nothern Sri Lanka
3. International community access to report on what is going on!
4. UN presence to ensure the safety of Tamil civilians and that Sri Lankan government are re-housing the stranded civilians in a responsible way…not to keep them in camps like animals
srilanka government is keeping tamil civilians in a safe area till the war ends. LTTE is kiddnaping tamil children and torture tamil people and forse them to join to their terrrist groups.why do you think 116 026 tamil civilians came to srilanka army? if srilanka army is so violent i do not think they would ever concider come to them. at the moment srilanka government is doing their best to provide facilities to those tamil civilians. some powerful countries even refused to donate but srilanka goverment is providing facilities as much as they can. with the help of all the kind srilankans they managed to send food, cloths, medicine. currently most of the tamil civilians has to stay in temporary tents. government is planing to rebuild homes for them. they deserve honour for what they are doing.
if you really care for tamil brothers, sisters please donate them some cloths, food, medicine, books. help them to rebuild their lives. help those poor tamil kids to go back to schools. book a ticket to srilanka and request to go to those area srilanka army will provide you security. see the situation from your own eyes. listen to them. do not take sides. if you really do care be a volunteer and help to treat wounded civilians. some ltte supportive aids groups wont get access to those areas. because they are not their to help civilians they are providing aids to ltte carders. we have seen the names and flags clearly on those aid supportive countris on some of the weapons and military equipments wich was found in ltte sites. government made a clear statement saying any aid group can help civilians with a pure wish to help tamil civilians without helping ltte. did UN presesnce at colombo galadari hilton colombo train station bomb attacks? other countries does not have to presence to ensure safty why do not you go there to presence and witness their saftey ? do you think what ltte is doing right? how do you justify that? why do you think tamil civilians are runnig away from ltte? why do you think tamil civilians get injured during those escapes? definitley the havent got those injuries from sl army because those civilians are coming from ltte bases. make any sence? we all got the same blood. its red. language, culture might be different. if the srilanka army is so angry with tamils then why do you think majority of tamil people live in colombo safely ?( wellawaththa) if prabakaran is your saviour why is he hiding behind civilians? why is his daughter in uk? why all other tamil girls cannot go to school like his daughter? that is not beacause of srilanka government or sl army. that is because of ltte kiddnaps those young girls and forse them to train as either suicide attacker or a ltte carder. they have no choice because ltte threaten to kill their family members so for the sake of family they do what ever tamil tigers say. who do you think did those suicide attacks in side buses in south and killed so many innocent people? all the ltte supporters live in all around the world. have they ever spent a single penny for innocent tamil civilians? they all live comfortable life styles in other countries. did not even bother to book a ticket to go back to jaffana to see their own relatives. if you really do care for them go back to them help to finish terrorism and build our country under a on flag. have you ever notice our national flag reresent orange strip for tamils and green strip for muslims. but have you seen any part is separated for sinhaleese in tamil tiger flag? try to realise the selfisness of ltte. be kind and support tamil civilians if you are kind enough send some milk powder to those babies in jaffna. if you do not trust any of srilankan government or sl army go by your self with a full media and security to hand over them. if you can do that we all beleive you as a true realative of those innocent tamil civilians.
they do not live like annimals. annimals live in farms. they eat grass not rice. do not let down those innocent tamil civilians. they will get better houses in north accoring to their wishes after the war. may be all the screaming aid supporters can help them to built those houses after the war. any srilankan citizen can live in any part of the country according to their wish. but for the moment that wish cannot be granted because of ltte tigers are fighting for their dream land in north. hope this war end soon and all the tamils, sinhalese, muslims and all others may get to live peacefully in any part of srilanka.
As a Sinhalese professing the Catholic faith I am fully convinced that the Ch.4 Journalist’s report portrays the factual situation about the brutal war launched by the Sinhalese Buddhist government against the minority Tamils.
International agencies, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have been condemning the grave human right violations such as abductions for ransom, ‘disappearance’, arbitrary arrests, torture and extra judicial executions in Sri Lanka for many years.
In the guise of ‘war on terrorism’ the government has engaged in ethnic cleansing. The war has claimed thousands of innocent lives of the Tamil civilians. Thousands have suffered serious injuries due to indiscriminate bombardment and are dying due to lack of medicine, medical attention and food.
I recall that in the aftermath of the 1983 communal riots, Mr. David Selbourne an eminent journalist was deported from Sri Lanka by the then President Mr. J. R. Jeyawaradene, for reporting the actual fact that the government aided and abetted the Sinhalese hooligans to go on a rampage of murder, arson, rape and looting of Tamils and their properties.
I praise the courage of Nick Paton Walsh and salute him for speaking the truth.
I believe Nick Paton Walsh was reporting the truth, what has he got to gain as an outsider telling lies about the Sri Lankan government in such vulnerable times? If he wanted a story isn’t it easier to slate the LTTE? Everyone else does? The government has cleverly banned him from the country and is not allowing other international reporters in to the country either. Doesn’t this strike people as odd? If people are in “safe zones” and are being treated well, then why not allow the international community in to see this? Why not allow humanitarian aid into these camps? What have the government got to hide? Surely if the government is winning the war this means they have wiped out the LTTE, so why then can’t people leave these camps and go back to their homes? Why keep them imprisoned for the next 3 years?
The international community need to think logically and not be blinded by a so-called democratic nation! Why is the Sri Lankan government being allowed to do this? In years to come we will look at this and see that the Tamils were failed by the international community! We talk about the holocaust, this is comparable. We have innocent civialians in camps who are being starved, interrogated, raped and murdered! I am utterely disappointed with the international community for not doing anything so far. Rajapakse and his government need to be tried for crimes of war!
What needs to happen:
1. Immediate cease fire
2. Access to aid and humanitarian organisations to Nothern Sri Lanka
3. International community access to report on what is going on!
4. UN presence to ensure the safety of Tamil civilians and that Sri Lankan government are re-housing the stranded civilians in a responsible way…not to keep them in camps like animals
This is clear examble of Srilanka. Channel 4 is well known unbiased world media. If Srilankan governemnt is doing right things in concentration camps and in wazr zone why do they worry about letting media?
If they think it is disgrace to Army they should put strict rules on army about sexual abuse.
I wish some body would take secret camps in Kilinotchy area where young men and woman are kept naked to prevent them from escaping. More truth will come out soon.
Great work Nick and Channel 4 News. The world now knows how these savages think and behave. They even think that they will get away with it. Remember what happend to Milosovic, Saddam, etc. The same fate awaits those hoodlums and their supporters. They will not be protected by the Italian maffia from India much longer.
Greatly appreciate your efforts in highlighting the factual side of the conflict. As a professional Tamil in exile am very perturbed at the events and wonder whether the tamils will ever have dignity which they had when there was someone espousing their cause. This is pure genocide and the government has some quislings in their midst like Devananda and Karuna who are eating the crumbs at the banquet of the Rajapakses. Surely there is a God above and they will pay the price for all this carnage.
Thank you for telling the truth.. and ur point abt the.. international funds and where is is going. spot on..
finaly the truth is comeing out..
this is why the sir lankan governmet avoids camers and press in the conflict zone.. so dat none of there war crimes is boadcasted.
once again thank m8..
channel 4 is a legend amoung the tamil communit
So you accept there is no democracy in Sri Lanka. In this case what is reported by Channel 4 could be true. How can you then call the reporters who tries to show the reallity “silly”. Don’t you think you are being silly and ignorant?
and 1 more think… if LTTE are terrorist then there wont be a single singhala person alive in Sri lanka.. they will be wiped out a long time ago.. LTTE r freedom fighters who want a free country..basicly MR Pravakaran is the WILLIAM WALLCE of Tamil Eelam who is fighting for a country for his race.
well done
I am a great fan of channel 4 news and watch it each day at 7 pm.
But this report on Sri Lanka shocked me and now have switched to Aljezeera who seem to give a much balanced view on world affairs.
Jon Snow’s Tone of Voice in this particular broadcast appeared Jubillant; abit like a sports commentator describing a suspected cheat in teh winning team.
As for Nick Walsh I am ashamed that such a renowned journalist was able to ruin his reputation by publishing a story with images that did not substantiate any of his claims and possibly caused huge suspicions and intrigue within these camps and even demoralised those workers who are dedicating so much time and effort to look after all these thousands of displaced people.
It will be nice if Mr Walsh could either apologize to teh Sri Lankan People or at least give them more facts that will substantiate his claims , and maybe help some poor women who run teh risk of being raped again and again unless the culprits are brought to book.
Common Mr Walsh do something to save the face of British fair play and justice.
Thank you for your repoting from Srilanka, As far as Srilanka is concernerd it is not a matter for them any more about the world , whatever they they will do it ( It happend to Srilankan Journalist now the world journalist).
If the govt is demogratically elected , why can they allow the jourlists to NO FLY ZONE.
Plese help the Tamils by bringing the true situation to WORLD
There are so many genocide attacks on Tamils by Sri Lankan armed forces time to time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumudini_boat_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirusuvil_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vankalai_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Trincomalee_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990_Batticaloa_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Kokkadichcholai_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mylanthanai_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumarapuram_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkaraipattu_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampalakamam_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allaipiddy_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welikada_prison_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal_Oya_riots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_Valvettiturai_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannar_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_July
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_University_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_State_terrorism_by_Sri_Lanka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Trincomalee_massacre_of_NGO_workers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindunuwewa_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riots_and_pogroms_in_Sri_Lanka
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn_farm_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attacks_attributed_to_the_Sri_Lankan_military
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Jaffna_library
My hats off to the channel 4 news for reporting the war of terror unleashed by the Government of Sri Lanka.
The present government has ministers such as ‘Karuna’ the renegade ex-commander of the LTTE and the Leader of the militants group Mr. Douglas Devananda. These Tamil turn coats have joined the Sinhalese racists for selfish and ulterior motives in supporting the genocidal war against the Tamil minority.
The Sinhalese Buddhist priests have invoked blessings on the armed forces in their conduct of this brutal war which has already claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Tamil civilians. Do not be disheartened by the condemnation and abuse from the racist mob. Even late president J. R. Jeyawardene labeled the ‘Amnesty International’ as Terrorists for reporting the 1983 communal riots. Sri Lankan government ministers are like ostriches that bury their heads in the sand and think that the world cannot see them.
Thank you Nick for telling the truth.
What a brave attempt by Nick and his team. Pitty they are deported before rest of the truth came out. You have not only shown the world the truth but also shown what a dedicated journalists you are by risking your lives for this report. Well done!
Thanks Nick and plase bring the truth to the world. Give voice for voiceless.
YOu guys are breeding terrorism. Last week 100 civilians killed & Hilary said “Oops Sorry”. YOUr support to terrorism while preaching otherwise is pathetic…..To put it simply, LTTE is “banned” in the UK. Today thier supporters are campaigning in Westminister waving LTTE falgs and they ask the war to be stopped so that innocent civilians are safe….Well….Hello!!! shouldnt they be waving black flags if so???? Are you guys this gullible?
Hellow !! Who is the terrorist ? Who used chemical bomb on people ? Rajapaksa brothers are the terrorist. LTTE is simply fighting against these terrorist. Please get this right !!!
hello their is no MAVUBIMA, srilanka is changed to PAUWBIMA , it is filled with sins committed by the buddists people.
If rebirth is true there will be sinhala animals in future.
My Sinhalese brethren who attack the channel 4 News ought to read Human Rights Watch Report, Amnesty International Report and US State Department report Sri Lanka to enlighten themselves.
Thank you Nick
Sri Lanka government has been killing Sri Lankans from independence. They have killed their own sinhalees youths in 1971 and 1989. They have been killing tamils from 1950s. This has to be stopped. IC should come up with an equation to avoid the human right abuses by the government. It is very little point coming up with solution after the incidents. LTTE should not also be this much violent against civilians of Sri Lanka. When do we learn our lessons? Now this Rajapaksha government is going behind countries like China, Russia and Libiya who do not support democratic rights of the people. Time to bring some form of stopping to this blood shed in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. Thank you Nick for telling unpalatable truth in Sri Lanka.
Thank you sir that you stand up for innocent tamil civilians in Sri lanka..
The world closed his eyes. It is a shameful matter in this century. Rajapakshe’s are very good actors. Unfortunately The world fell down the sri lankan politicians trap. But truth will be show up at the end.God bless all
I am happy that the Channel 4 reporters brought to light what was happening in Sri-lanka by risking their life. Thank you for the true report.
Dear,
Its not the question of who work for..
He is the reporter,,, he is doing his job..let him do his job.. if u don need to hide anything y did u deport them?
Everyone know, wat happen there but no ones ready to stand up(UN, UK, USA….India..) and releasing JUST THE STATEMENT…I belive their statement vaule is 1102 innocent lives in NO FIRE ZONE.
Well done those PEOPLE WHO ARE advocating them as WORKING FOR HUMNAN RIGHTS & PEACE.
Regards
Vannan
Hi nick
THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU AND YOUR WORK PEOPLE DONE THE GREAT JOB TO THE TAMIL PEOPLE.
Thank you Mr.Nick. I am happy with you. You are brought actual situation in Srilanka regarding Tamil people. Please do more and invite all Reporters in all over the world to bring all truth in Srilanka that the terrorist Govt is doing to innocent tamil people. I think you can understand now that How the SL Govt is behaving with Tamil people. You saw directly. SR army is killing tamil peopls every day. Tamil people haven’t got food, water & anything. please help tamil people to live freedom.
God bless you.
For everyone who criticising nick, I just want to tell that these journalists are professionals not the “lake house” and “Rupavahini” jokers who only report what the government wants them to report. Anyone with a sound mind has to think why Sri Lankan government has to have a MCNS if they don’t have anything to hide. I am a srilankan and I know how these things go down in srilanka, only if nick wasn’t a foreign national; him and his team would have been killed just like Lasantha. I mean what is a defence secretary of a county doing getting on the phone to a journalist and talking like that, doesn’t he have better things to do, why he is so paranoid about a reporter from the UK. After all nick is a reporter not a film producer, he reports what he sees. Anyone who think nick created this on purpose, will you dare visiting those camps in srilanka and see the truth yourself. I am pretty sure you all sitting here, reading and watching reports from srilankan government and believing what they are telling you is the truth. Because you lot only see what you want to see, not the truth
Não há caminho para a paz!
A Paz é o caminho!
There is no way to peace!
Peace is the way!
Channel 4 please keep up your reputation. Just for the sake of reporting something which will sell your news, don’t take recordings from LTTE and publish. LTTE has a fantastic record of twisting stories to win international sympathy. And they have become such a terrorist organization only with international sympathy. All the medicine, boat engines, fuel, food etc etc NGOs gave to LTTE to give for poor people were used by LTTE for it’s cadres. What happened to all the money which NGOs poured to LTTE other than they bought Air Crafts etc ? From where did LTTE got all the heavy land moving equipment other than from NGOs. People who don’t know anything about the country, come and report the things as they see. You can see who does Ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka if you travel in Sri Lanka. When you travel in Sri Lanka you will meet Muslims and Tamils all over the country. Then go to north and see if there are any Sinhalese for a change. People are not that stupid.
Thanks you for your timely-needed excellent service and we appreciate the high risk taken by you to bring out the truth to the world. It is genocide by Sri Lankan government without witness.
Can you imagine what would have happened if you all were local journalist? Probably you would have been abducted and disappeared. Can’t even imagine about the Tamils who criticize the government???? Tamils people in the government control area can only open the mouth to eat otherwise being killed.
Now you are branded as Tamil tigers. Don’t even think about going back to Sri Lanka where the democratically elected devils live.
Nick, as a jounalist you should be more responsible when making scuh stories as these allegation has now brought the SL army and the country in to discredit. Had you been forced to write these stories, it seems you were under pressure and you came up with this idea, who’s behind this, probably Jon Snow as he has been always looking for some hot news just to keep the viewers, now what happend, it’s a shame!
Thanks Mr. N. P. Walsh.We are watching BBC everyday.But, BBC not telling truth.But,now a days srilankan tamils watching Channel 4.You are the one brought the truth.Please world open your eyes
Thank you very much Sir. You did the right thing. Sri lankan government is Killing tamil civilians using chemical weapons and severe bombartment. You brought tamil’s voice to the world. Again thank you Nick to telling the truth to this closed eyes world. Please continue your service to break the srilankan government’s propaganda. thank you.
Channel 4 is trying to expose the genocide taking place in SriLanka. Rajapaksa brothers are the modern Pol-Pot they are using intenationally banned chemical weapons against the Tamils. They need to be punished for these attrocities. Can I urge Channel 4 to investigate the use of Chemical Weapons in SriLanka
Thanks A Lot… At least you realised the truth….and brought it out……
Srilanka is the worst country for humanrights , disapearance and safety of journalists. There is no remnants of democracy.Who ever supports the govt has blood in their hands.
Yeah, blood of terrorists. Whole world is OK with that.
Ok so I have just discovered that the GoSL is actually funding groups of people to actually sit in front of the computer and counterbalance anything positive written about Tamil people on any blogs/ websites etc etc…so guys dont pay any attention to to any negativities about the LTTE or any positive things about the GoSL said by these individuals as they are getting paid to do so. Another little SICK game of the GoSL!!!
The Sri Lankan Government has finally decided to stop the indiscriminate use of heavy weapons in heavily populated areas with the arrival of the top UN Humanitarian Official Mr. John Holmes. The Government has been fully aware that the use of heavy weapons has caused the deaths and maiming of thousands of innocent Tamil Civilians.
The majority of the Tamil civilians who have lived in Kilinochichi and Vanni areas inherited their ancestral properties and have lived there for a number of years. The rest are Tamil civilians who fled their lands to escape persecution from the Authorities and their henchman, the armed paramilitary groups such as ‘the EPDP’, ‘the PLOTE’, ‘Karuna’s TMVP’. The Government is accusing the LTTE of using the Tamil civilians as human shields. In the face of relentless bombardment from air, sea and land by the government armed forces, using heavy weapons as admitted by the Government, and destruction of their habitants and dwelling houses, where else can these besieged Tamil civilians, young and old, flee other than to retreat into the jungles with the LTTE Cadres to safeguard their lives and that of their children.
Since gaining independence, the successive Sinhalese Governments have discriminated against the minority Tamils in important spheres, such as housing, development, education and job opportunities etc. The Government of SWRD Bandaranaike made Sinhala as the official language. His widow, Mrs. Srimavo Bandaranaike introduced “Standardaisation” in order to make Tamils from Northern and Eastern provinces to obtain higher grades than their Sinhala counterparts from other provinces to obtain university admissions. The Government of the late JR Jeyawardene unleashed the Sinhalese hooligans in July 1983 on the Tamil civilians and for four days allowed them to conduct a reign of terror in which thousands of Tamils lost their lives and earthly possessions.
At present the politically bankrupt Marxist party, the JVP has been advocating racism in order to stay in office and muster Sinhalese votes. The Buddhist clergy party, the JHU, who took the mantle of the failed Sinhala supremacist party known as “Sinhala Urumaiya”, gained about nine seats in the Parliament stating that their avowed policy was to spread Buddhist principles all over Sri Lanka and get rid of corruption from the society and the Government. They are now part of the most corrupt Government in the history of Sri Lanka. Their spokesman stated publicly that their intention was to make Sri Lanka a ‘Sinhalese Buddhist nation’ as Gautama Buddha had bequeathed Sri Lanka to the Sinhalese Buddhist. Buddha, being an Indian had no right or title to bequeath a country which never belonged to him. He was not even a Sinhalese!
The Defense Secretary states that there is no need of a ceasefire and that the LTTE must surrender. In this context, please consider the outcome of or the lack of the investigation into the killings of 17 aid workers who worked for a French Charity organization and the killing of the five or seven students murdered in Trincomalee by the STF. The massacre of 58 Tamil detainees in the open prison in ‘Bindunwewa’ in Bandarawela by Sinhalese thugs whilst being guarded by a number of armed Sinhalese policemen. What happened to 17 aid workers belonging to the Tamil charity, TRO? It was widely believed that the captured leader of the JVP Rohana Wijeweera was cremated alive by the Sinhalese Security Forces. They JVP suspect, the ‘Kataragama Beauty Queen’ was paraded naked along the streets and buried half alive by the Sinhalese soldiers. During the 1983 government sponsored communal riots against the Tamils, around 57 Tamil tiger suspects who were in judicial custody at the maximum security prison of Welikade, were massacred by the Sinhalese prisoners with the collusion of armed soldiers and prison guards. Up to now no one has been punished for these dastardly crimes. In the circumstances the Tigers will never surrender and Sri Lanka will become the killing fields of the Tamil civilians caught up in the war.
Buddha, the philosopher, never said that he was a divine being. He preached that all beings should be allowed to live happily. He advocated frugal living. The well fed fat Mahanayake Theros (Buddhist priests) travel in air-conditioned Mercedes cars presented to them by the government. They invoke the blessings of the three gems on the armed forces before they launch the war on the LTTE and the Tamil civilians. Much respected Buddhist leader the ‘Dalai Lama’ recently said that he is being bitten by mosquitoes all the time as Buddhism prohibits the killing of living beings. Yet in Sri Lanka the Buddhist priests are openly advocating racism and religious discrimination. They encourage the government and its armed forces to wage a war of terror on the Tamils and seek a military solution to the ‘Tamil problem’. They are yet to condemn the killings of the Tamil M.P’s, the numerous abductions, disappearances, torture, extrajudicial executions etc.
Those who managed to reach the so called ‘safety zones’ are herded into an area and are not allowed to leave that area. They live in flimsy tents, some under trees without proper food, toilet facilities and protections from the elements. Being forced to abandon their earthly possessions and their livelihoods and made destitute and refugees in their own country, these civilians are suspected of involvement, links or rendering support to the LTTE’ers and are therefore detained in areas surrounded by barbed wire fences and armed soldiers. The N.G.O’s, Aid Agencies and Media are not allowed into these areas, there are no independent witnesses to testify about the hardships, deprivations and persecution they are subjected to. The Government has adamantly refused to allow the UN to play a role in helping the long suffering Tamil civilians. UN Officials have confirmed that the civilian death toll since 20th January is close to 6,500. In addition, thousands have been maimed or injured. Those who are injured have no access to medical supplies or food supplies. Even the government has been using them as human shields to advance into the LTTE territory. As one UN spokesman said in relation to the bombing of Gaza by the Israelis, one should not shoot the hostage in order to get at the hostage taker.
The LTTE has now declared a unilateral ceasefire. The Defense Secretary described the offer as a ‘joke’ and said “They were not fighting with us. They were running from us”. A Government spokesman dismissed the ceasefire as futile and said “The end game is very much on”. The above utterances shows that the Sinhalese government is not concerned about the plight of the Tamil civilians. But the International World is so concerned that the Foreign Ministers of France and UK have arrived in Sri Lanka to urge the government to stop killing the Tamil civilians.
The Sinhalese government spent vast sums of money buying weapons’ from China, Pakistan, India and Israel and are bent on crushing the LTTE military. The President and his brothers have misappropriated and misused vast sums of monies donated by Foreign Countries in the aftermath of ‘Tsunami’ some years ago.
For the last 30 years, the successive Sinhalese governments have failed to make a sincere effort to solve the Tamil problem politically. The Government is not worried about the plight of the Tamil civilians. The grave atrocities and human right violations committed against the Tamil civilians by the Authorities and their allies, the armed paramilitary groups with impunity has forced the Tamil civilians to support LTTE and regard them as freedom fighters. The Government has never treated the Tamils fairly. Hence the exodus of Tamil civilians to Foreign climes, leaving behind their kith & kin. The Government Ministers and Leaders are intent on lining their pockets and do not have any coherent policy or plan to develop the Country economically and to enrich the quality of life of its citizens. The Buddhist priests and the Sinhalese leaders are paying lip service to Buddhism but in practice encourage and tolerate violence and injustice against minority races professing different religions who have lived in Sri Lanka for many centuries. The Government of Sri Lanka is impervious and insensitive to the condemnation and fears expressed by the International world over the conduct of the brutal war and Tamil civilian casualties caused as a result. The Sinhalese leaders are guilty of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.
According to the ancient legends, the Sinhalese descended from the exiled Prince Vijaya and his several hundreds of friends who were cast away in boats from India. They were forced out from their native regions in North West India because of their wicked ways. This is chronicled in the ‘Mahavamsa’, when Vijaya arrived in what is known as Sri Lanka today, there were Yakas and Nagas already living on the Island. Buddhism was introduced to the Sinhalese from India by Mahinda son of the Indian Emperor Asoka, during the third Century. Prior to this all were Hindus. At present, the Sinhalese being the Majority race, exercise political and economic dominance over the minority race. Tamils living in the North and East of the Country have lived there for Centuries. The ‘Up Country or Hill Country’ Tamils were brought to Sri Lanka by the British rulers to work in tea plantations.
The entire world, except of course India, China, Pakistan and Japan are horrified and alarmed at the scale of slaughter inflicted on the Tamil civilians by the Rajapakse brothers and their Government. They accuse those who condemn them for the atrocities, genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated in the Tamil regions as being on the payroll of the LTTE. You would recall that in 1983 the late President Mr. JR Jeyawardene branded Amnesty International as ‘terrorists’. The voices of educated citizens such as the late Mr. Lasantha Wickaramasinghe, the former Editor of ‘The Sunday Leader’ against the genocidal and costly war, have been stifled by the government assassins. The said Mr. J R Jeyawardene was considered to be the recruiting sergeant for the LTTE in Sri Lanka. Mahinida has stepped into his shoes at present. The only difference is that he is playing his role on an international level.
Thousands of Tamil civilians are dying of starvation injuries sustained by the relentless bombardment and lack of medical supplies. Even hospitals are bombed into oblivion with its patients. This is a rouge government governed by megalomaniacs. They are not fit to rule the country as they are killing their own citizens. Perhaps Tamils are lesser mortals.
after reading your statement I realized the anger that you have for Sinhalese and buddhism. this shows the hateret in your self for sinhalese. but remember sinhalese never thought about the same way like you thought about us that is the difference between you and proper sinhala bhuddist people. we are always there to help sinhalese, tamils and muslims. srilanka has holidays for tamil festivels, sinhala festivals, chrstian festivals and muslim festivels. and we all live happily until people like you LTTE terrorist dream for a separate land. the lack of knowledge that you have for buddhism is unacceptable. Lord buddah never became angry or impatient or spoke harshly to anyone, not even to those who opposed him. but lord buddah did not advise or interfere in to kings duties. king did his duty he got blessings for all the good things that he had done. but the kings duty to protect the country from enemies. if you remembr the history of srilanka king Dutugamunu always got the blessings from bhuddihst monks( hamuduruwo) before he went to the battle. this does not mean bhuddhist monks helped for killings. we get blessings before we do a good thing with a pure mind.in this case wiping out the terrorism is a good thing so every one can live happily and peacefully.if there is no ltte terrorists in our country then no srilankan soldier would not want to carry a gun with him. every time a srilankan soldier shoot at a terrorist definitley he is thinking of the safty of the rest of the people in srilanka. a soldier only shoot at LTTE terrorist members not at tamil peoples. our srilankan army do not shoot at terrorists who wish to surrender. so only terrorists get shot down and die. no body cry for them because terrorists never did any good for their people. LTTE terrorists only follwed orders from a well fed fat leader.
you have insulted Mahanayake Theros. and tried to explain what happen in srilanka during past years. but what you have wrote is simmilar to mr Nicks’ fake report.
here is some advice for you from bhuddism: We are the same as plants, as trees, as other people, as the rain that falls. We consist of that which is around us, we are the same as everything. If we destroy something around us, we destroy ourselves. If we cheat another, we cheat ourselves.
thank you Nick telling the truth.
More Genocide “” Open Air Bathing”"
Nick Paton Walsh has abandoned all standards and ethics of Journalism by producing this report, also Channel 4 has done a great disservice to it’s News programs by by Broadcasting such unconfirmed bile from Mr Walsh.
In my opinion Mr Walsh has been throughly DUPED by the terrorist and their Sympathizers. From the onset of the this Conflict the Tamil Tigers have used the Western Media to Broadcast their Propaganda to the Detriment of innocent Sri Lankans. Mr Walsh and Channel 4 being the latest to drink from that poison chalice called the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
Mr Walsh report contained a lot of very Loaded Words, such as, Genocide, internment camps, which he knows will tug at the Heart of any decent Human Being. Well Mr Walsh, call it what you like, but we Sri Lankans believe that we should show more sympathy to these people who are in these Welfare Villages, what they do not need is to feel that they are some kind of Animals in a Zoo and made to be paraded for the likes of you, and the benefit of the Western Media.
We Sri Lankans also believe that our Govt & Gallant forces are doing the right thing by these tamil people by Liberating them from tyranny.
Mr Walsh, I suggest you go to places like Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq and find a New Bone to chew on as reporters of your ilk are no longer welcomed in Sri Lanka. Also please don’t forget to ask your Countries Soldiers to Mind the life of innocent Iraqis or Afghans and if you want to see internment Camps?? maybe you should go and see GUNTANAMO.
Nick Paton Walsh!!!!
Becoz you are outsider, you have escapsed. Tamils will say you done a good job, Sinhalese will say you are LTTE supporter. but you know what excatly you done.
you seen how Rajapaksa family behave when you show the world what is really happening in Sri Lanka. If you are a Sri Lankan Tamil think what should have happen…..
As a member of the majority I must say that I take an unbiased path with regard to the ethnic conflict, even though I have escaped LTTE explosions many a time. I am privileged to have the direct access to military sources who give me the following stats. However, many other Sri Lankan also know that this war is being persecuted purely to hid the excesses of the government, what with the murder of Sinhalese journalists and opponents of the government at every turn, need I to remind anyone of Lasantha and Janaka Perera, as well as many other disappearances and attacks on media institutions with racist intonations is just NOT the done thing in CIVIL societies.
Whilst the LTTE is a ruthless terrorist organization and terrorism must be met with flames from its own fires, the unarmed and civil populations should be spared. In conflict the humane path must prevail, if that were so then Bosnia and its generals should be pardoned.
Despite the governments fake assurances jets take off Katunayake and from Anuradhapura regular loaded with pylon mounted explosives only returning bank empty, this happened even today, so let us not think any more of that. I also have contacts in the military who confirm shelling. But having said that these are NOT cluster ammunitions or chemical weapons as LTTE claims, now that just too mush of a bluff.
The government MCNS statement that it is LTTE shelling itself is just another open lie that is tong in cheek too. What must happen now is of the government to clean up its act and act like a responsible government not a rough regime or worse a terrorist state itself.
If the government is really only concerned about its people and willing to go on trial for its abuses and even the gallows it should start by not closing the roads each time a secretary of a secretary of a Minster takes to the road.
Thank you very much for the channel 4 reporters.I am kindly asking u this truth should continue always.
Thank you very much for the channel 4 reporters.I am kindly asking u this truth should be continued to the world .
Well done C4. Excellent work and at least you have worked hard and brought horror stories out of Sri Lanka. Now World knows that Genocide is happening in Sri Lanka.
MY MESSAGE TO ALL TAMILS HERE, What do you guys want from this? You want those innocent Tamils to be stuck there with LTTE and suffer their lifetime? What about next generations? What have LTTE done to Tamils? Go to Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and you’ll see they haven’t laid a single brick for civilians, but abducted children as child soldiers and suicide bombers. They butchered many civilians not only Sinhalese but also Tamils and Muslims.
Next, anybody can understand the level of truth in this when you see the footage. Stop enjoying stories like this and try to help those IDPs to turn the page and move on with their lives. Tamils must be the only nation in history that left their own people behind and shedding crocodile tears while having a luxury life somewhere in the world. Shame on you! Come on, now it’s time to help your own people, not to try to avenge other people for what they haven’t done. See the reality. Very soon north will be liberated and developed like east. That’s what we want.
At this moment we all Sri Lankans collect necessary stuff for displaced people and sending them to so called “jail” camps. Join us or enjoy your hot meals like you always did and sleep tight without running behind fairy tales.
Good Luck!
Thank you for your report Channel 4.
It took alot of courage.
Thank you also to the Sinhalese, Tamils, Religion organizations and schools who are donating necessities to the IDPs in camps.
My question :
1. Why aren’t more Dr.without borders given visa’s to enter the country ?.
2. Why aren’t Tamils allowed to bring their relatives who are in the IDP-camps back to their home ?.
3. Why are families split between IDP-camps ?
4. Why were the volunteer teachers turned back ?
5. Someone had donated chicken, to the IDP folk. But the military had turned it back, saying that it was a luxury for the Tamils !
What world are you living you in? If you think the camps are so great, let’s put your family in the camps as a tamil, so your wife/daughter can get gang raped, your young son will be abducted and never appear again, and starve you without food. We will see if you are still so proud of your forces protecting your country. Are you ready to take the challenge? Tamils never wanted this war, and all they asked was the right to live with rights and dignity. The IMF load will be suspended and we will see how the ordinary Sri lankans can afford the the price inflations. Very soon all Clothing companies will also stop importing materials made in SL, then we will see your economy will survive. The Doom to Sri Lanka is very soon.
Everybody, understand this is just another business.
As a member of the majority I must say that I take an unbiased path with regard to the ethnic conflict, even though I have escaped LTTE explosions many a time. I am privileged to have the direct access to military sources who give me the following stats. However, many other Sri Lankan also know that this war is being persecuted purely to hid the excesses of the government, what with the murder of Sinhalese journalists and opponents of the government at every turn, need I to remind anyone of Lasantha and Janaka Perera, as well as many other disappearances and attacks on media institutions with racist intonations is just NOT the done thing in CIVIL societies.
Whilst the LTTE is a ruthless terrorist organization and terrorism must be met with flames from its own fires, the unarmed and civil populations should be spared. In conflict the humane path must prevail, if that were so then Bosnia and its generals should be pardoned.
Despite the governments fake assurances jets take off Katunayake and from Anuradhapura regular loaded with pylon mounted explosives only returning bank empty, this happened even today, so let us not think any more of that. I also have contacts in the military who confirm shelling. But having said that these are NOT cluster ammunitions or chemical weapons as LTTE claims, now that just too mush of a bluff.
The government MCNS statement that it is LTTE shelling itself is just another open lie that is tong in cheek too. What must happen now is of the government to clean up its act and act like a responsible government not a rough regime or worse a terrorist state itself.
If the government is really only concerned about its people and willing to go on trial for its abuses and even the gallows it should start by not closing the roads each time a secretary of a secretary of a Minster takes to the road.
Nick,
I think, still you have to learn lot about tamil tigers. Even without your knowledge, LTTE has used you some how.
people like you always think all tamils are tigers, one of the reasons why this problems is dragging for this long, can’t help people like you, see
AS long as people like u r tre this war will not end. u people are like tonic for racist singala government.
First of all you have to learn about Rajapaksha Family and what are they doing to Tamil Community. shhhhhh
This report if far and far behind the truth. This is more like a tamilnet video clips. We tamils have really suffered a lot due to the LTTE. So all this western world please try to help our rest of the poeple to come to GOSL controll area.
Rajapakshe family ruining the country. They all racist. Tamils can`t live with sinhalese any more. CH4 proved in their excellent report. My sister say in Vanni camp she doesn`t get enough food and water.Ch4 please brink the truth to the world. All tamils around the world will wish you. Good Luck
The line for our crew was at passport control, but you realise what crossing the line for Sri Lankan journalists means.
Nick,
Thankyou
I must say you are a lucky person because you are from Europe. Imagine, if you were a Sri Lankan Tamil, you would have been killed by unidentified men(Army) by now for reporting the truth, like the Sunday Leader Editor and other several Sri Lankan journalists. Whoever telling the truth are supporters of the LTTE and have been bribed by the LTTE!??? It is the Sri Lankan Govt who is telling the truth. For example, it said in the beginning that there were only around 60,000 civilians in the conflict zone. Now, there are nearly 200,000 refugees who are detained in the so called intern camps. I wonder where they came from?? Only the Sri Lankan govt would know.
Nick –
The Sri Lankan ethnic conflict is steeped in history and it is not a war on terror, it is war waged by a brutal Sri Lankan state to subjugate the aspirations of an ethnic community. Even at this moment the Sri Lankan Govt has failed to table a set of proposals acceptable even to moderate tamils like myself. The simple reason is because the Rajapakse regime will be doomed if it even tries to do that, as its main vote camp is pro-war and anti-tamil. Therefore the only way the current regime will stay in power is by championing the mono-ethnic concept.
Sri Lanka was a multi cultural and pluralistic society, it is not so now. Attempts by the successive chavunistic Sri Lankan Govt’s to turn it into a mono-ethnic buddhist state has contributed to most of the current problems. What we need is an internationalisation of this civil war so that there is enough research and intellectual resources are channelled to find a political solution that will give the tamils of Sri Lanka the dignity they deserve.
My humble advise to you is, continue to report the truth and not to be cowed by pressure of the British Govt or any other to go slow on the exposure.
As I said before free press is what holds officials accountable. In the conduct of this war the Sri Lankan military has committed gross human right violations. Do not let them get away with this. I fervently hope that your proactiveness will pave way for more journalists to slip into the conflict zone to report the truth. That will be the real victory.
I’m so glad that C4 reported on the treatment of tamils in Srilanka. They have tried to cover up the killing of tamils for quite sometime. Banning media and reporters from SL, making up stories about LTTE. It has been our word against theirs… until now, until Nick Paton.
Thank you C4 !
Thank you for bring the truth to the world. you are the real journalist
This is all fabricated to support the LTTE terrorist. Do not forget, in the guise of Tamils, they are committing terrorism in SRi LANKA.
LTTE is a banned terrorist outfit responsible for many civilian deaths, political leaders and 2 world leaders along with thousands of TAMIL intellectuals, who opposed them was gunned down or brutality assassinated.
World, do not get caught to LTTE propaganda. They have many people on their parole, this includes journalist!
Do not support LTTE terrorist adn their supporters and most of all, dont fall for their false propaganda. Read the following for credible information.
http://www.asiantribune.com
http://www.defence.lk
http://www.dailymirror.lk
First of all, I would like to thank you Nick for risking your life and entering a country run by such a vicious government in order to portray the truth to the rest of the world. I don’t understand why people are actually trying to pretend like you did something wrong and that the government had a right to throw you out. It’s clear as water that they are trying to hide the truth and the only reason they deported you is because they don’t want you to dig even deeper and find out more truth. I hope that the rest of the world opens it’s eyes and decides to be as brave as you. It’s people like you, Nick, that makes me realize that goodness still exists!
Sri Lankan government with widespread reports in winning the prestigious broadcasting their action against the rebel movement, “Tamil Tigers” was successful. But in the media gezeichnente image is very doubtful, because: A free report is available in Sri Lanka, and critical journalists do not have to fear for their lives
The battles between the army and the LTTE Srilankas rebels demanding more and more victims – but that should not know: The government distributed only success stories and condemned the journalists in the country to silence.
Permits are exclusively success stories – A great Joke!
Bravo to Nick Walsh, for taking the enormous risk and exposing the truth. In Canada, we applaud your commitment to journalism and embarking on this dangerous mission, so the world may know once and for all the real dilemma of Tamils in SL.
Channel 4 – I lost my respect and credibility of your news reports. I was following the C4 news thinking you were not biased. I didn’t think that Cameraman and the reporter are that cheap to earn their bread by reporting the false propaganda. You have been offered the very kind and reasonable punishment from Sri lanka ie Deporting. “SHAME ON YOU”. including Channel 4.
If There is no truth to the story why is there no free media and independent monitors in the camps. Raising the iron curtain and then saying there is nothing going on is counter productive if there is truly nothing to hide.
I’m sure no one would complain to the court marshalls of the american soldiers who abused Iraqi prisoners in abu graib. The americans did not find fault with the reporters but the soldiers who commited the crime. They investigated allegations istead of blanket dismissal.
The fact that the defence secretary says he has evidenceof sundra oli editor of supporting the tigres only to see that there was no evidence to charge him and he is let go. Clearly the defence secretary is either a liar or the police force is supporting the tigres. This is truth and justice in Sri lanka. This tarnishes the image of Sri Lanka more that this story. The strong dictates the truth.
Thanks for Brocastinng Mr.Nick Paton Walsh True coverage about the Genecide of Tamils in srilanka.
and also agony of the Tamils in the idp camps the srilakan forces are most indiscipline soldiers in the world, the single example about them in Haiti UN peaces keeping mission. The sri Lankan Army (108 ) Peacekeepers Abusing Children In Haiti 27 Sep 08, The srilanka army was guilty and they were deported. Thanks very much for the Mr.Nick Paton Walsh carriage
about the truth that was hidden by the srilanka government iron curtain.
Thanks again
Jeyaganth Suganthiny
Thank you Nick Paton Walsh,
Very soon this world will identify the real state terrorists (Terrorists in the mask of government).
No media freedom, Mass murders, Rule of armed forces and Economy decline is the real situation in Srilanka, reason is the current government.
Fine, let’s just assume that Nick is biased. Then why isn’t the SL goverment letting other media in? Forget who’s the blame for this. Or let’s just assume that both parties are to blame for it. Then let the media in to prove so. What is the SL government trying to hide? Who is the SL government to decide that the New York Times, BBC, CNN and other reputable news broadcastors are not good enough to cover the war? IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, THEN LET THE MEDIA IN.
well said sarah.
many thanks mr.nick paton walsh.you have opened the eyes of international communities by bringing the truth of sri lanka.tamils are ancient community of sri lanka which was ruled by chola tamil kings-sinhalese killed all the tamil kings according to budhist mahavamsa and history of sri lanka.we request that u.n.o should send its forces to safeguard the life of rest of the tamils.otherwise sinhala soldiers will kill all the tamils-channal 4 always speaks the truth-thanks once again
These all happened to you guys, just imagine about the minority journalists in Srilanka.the very recent examples are Vithyatharan and Tissanayagam.
We expect more from your team to tell the truth to the world. i appriciate what you have done sofar.
Sri lankan genocide is not just tamil ethnic minorities issue. This is a Crime against humanity. Using LTTE’s mistakes the government is committing the genocide as they “promised” in their election propaganda which is so called “Mahindha Thoughts”. Thank you so much Nick.
You can see only Tamil Tigers love this news story and Nick’s reporting. It just caters to a Tamil community who supports the Tigers. You can’t allege abuses based on hear say. Thats not journalism its gossip mongering.
you are supporting the government in order to hide the truth and writting these kind of comments stop what u are doing. tThanks..
Nick,
Thanks for bringing the truth out of the srilankan government, and their Army. If the SL government or any other supporters things your msg is not true, why they don’t let any reporters to their area? they are the biggest liers in the world I ever seen, I wish if you can continue your good, valuable service.
Thanks again
Raj
Prasanna,
Do you have anyone being detained at these detention camps or suffering inside no-fire-zone?
If not pls shut up and listen to the people do: I’m one of them.
Do you agree with Gotabhaya Rajapakse on “War on Terror” and “With us or Against Us”?
If you do, you should also accept what happened in streets of south in 1989. And I believe none of your relatives got hurt or you don’t simply care.
What has been reported by Channel-4 is just tip of Ice-berg: and more to be exposed by IC very soon.
thanks for your helpilg for our vanni people cityvation our best thanks temil eleam people for you thankyou agian
Guys…Think why GOSL has banned the media? they just do not want the truth to come out. You know what ? You will never hide the truth and all the GOSL will be brought to justice and it is not too far ahead. Many Intl groups and lawyers are already working on it it to bring Basil, Gothapaya, Rajapaksha & Sarath Fonseka to the Intl Court and send them where Sadam Hussain went! Then only there will be a peace in SL as the next president will think 5 times before he/she commits Genocide of Tamils. You wait and see this will happen.
Nick, I just wanted to thank you for your braveness and to shed some light on the truth. No one believed us when we told informaton coming from our relatives trapped in the camp and in the war zone. If such an incident has happened to you, can you imagine what would of happened being a Srilankan reporter reporting on such an issue? I don’t think I would of come out live.
Thanks for your real report. please do some more for voiceless sri lankan Tamils.
many thanks mr.nick paton walsh
I am happy that the Channel 4 reporters brought to light what was happening in Sri-lanka by risking their life. Thank you for the true report.
Thank you Nick Paton Walsh,
The truth is coming out by people like you. The whole Tamil Community is thanking you for your great effort. Please do more and There are more to come out of IDPs.
Waran
first i thank and pray for your hard works. please help our tamil civiliance in eelam. we want your countinuesly service for our peoples. thank you so much for your risk works
nick ur the best journalist ur the hero u r great people of tamil all over the world with u for any kind off sutivation god fight for justice u ar the massanger love u
nice work u did……….I am happy that the Channel 4 reporters brought to light what was happening in Sri-lanka by risking their life. Thank you for the true report. think about this… if ur a tamilian.. what happen with u……
thanks for your helps to tamil peoples
please continu to helping us
Many many thanks Nick. You have saved thousand of Tamils lives. You have brought the truth to the out side world. You are now Tamils heros. World Tamils are all over the world who will support you in every way. Thanks
for your help. God Bless you.
Thanks for bringing out the TRUTH from those CONCENTRATION CAMPS. IF the UN or UK funds thses camps, it is a discrace to them.
thank you for your report Channe4.
for Tamils.
good job ur good media man continue ur job go head
thankssssssss
pls save tamil people
Hi
Thanks & your open this word eyes.
I Thing now you can understand sri lanka goverment.
please give your support for our tamils.
take care
I can’t believe this. The Gov of Srilanka doing like this? UK GOV want to give more more pressure against Srilankan GOV.Thank you Channel-4 for bring out this GOV terrorism. Good job.
I use to work at one of the radio for 8 years in canada. i am really happy about, what you did in srilanka. please the all good people are expect all media should be like this . but you did it. we are so happy. please keep it up. Really at the time, Tamils need one of you. keep tell the people how bad srilankan govanment. And tamils need a homland , please help us as a media . Thank you very much for your work and risic you life.
Thank you for your effort bring that matter outside; However it was’t happened yesterday or today? It has been happening more than for last 30 years. where were all the reporters all this time?
Thank you – Tamils bless you
I watched it and it’s absurd.
Some clown claimed to have managed to take a camera inside one of those IDP camps,
tells that there were bodies around the camp for days unattended and women being
raped by SL soldiers.
The video DOES NOT show any of those, except three ‘Tamil tigers’ tell these to
the camera hidden behind a curtain.
World should understand that, Sri Lanka fought this war for 30 years and country has
been virtually crippled by the Tamil separatists.There had been much brutal killings in
the Island by Tamil LTTE terrorists and no one seems have noticed any of those.
Being a responsible TV channel I urge you to be more truthful and factual when
claim such allegations without becoming another mouthpiece for Tamil Tigers.
u guys prove that angles are still alive to raise the truth
This is another humiliating and poor try to cover all the bad side of LTTE and put the all the blame to the governmnt side.As far as most of the people living in srilanka know whats really happening in srilanka now but not the people livng in abraod..because of this sort of biased and onesided media work most of the people around the world is now looking at srilankans like babrbarians who kills each other and trying to genocide tamils.Like channel 4 artical i have seen many articles in different internet sites which taken facts from LTTE OR LTTe supporting tamil sites and publish like there news.But tamils who live in colombo and other part of srilanka knows what really happening in north,so that peace in south is still the same and still we all live happily each other..i would kindly request these western media,please if u come to my county stay here for a while and talk tamils in colombo,tamils in upcountry ,tamils in east,and then come to real sence before u write a article.Yours onesided articles may please LTTe supportes around the world,but it really make sad generous sinhalese leding hand to the poor people living in IDPs.why u really want to show the bad side of IDPs?havent u seen sinhalese ppl,army people helping poor tamils there.have u mention any word about it.have u mention how people get clothes how people get food to those camps?if u all are so called journalist why u couldnt say one word against ltte killing of civillins when they escape from ltte area?why couldnt u make a documentry about it?If you all real journalist,you could have unbaised and report truth.by reporting only the bad side of IDP camps what u except?cutting down international donations to IDps?Who will suffer from that ultimately?HOpe reputated media like channal 4 would not do this sort of mistakes again.
Thanks channel 4 for bring the true to the world. There is lots more to come out. True will win.
You have done the good Job Channel 4 Team, you kicked on Rajapaksha’s family bottom. Well Done for Job
Nick Walsh Thanks for your repord your a very srong journalist
please help thamils
as long as people like u r tre truth will not be hidden by singales govt. which is true from this incident. good job pls continue this. ols save my people.
mr.nick paton walsh thank you very much for tha channal 4 reporters, am kindly u this truth should continue
First of all thanking you for giving the reality to the world closing eyes towards the Tamils and now we can see the real face of the Srilankan Govt to deport the journalists because they do not like to reveal the truth because they wants to kill all the Tamils not only the LTTE.
sir please …..really thanks sir…plz help our tamil poeple..love u sir…god++++++u
wonderful job and please continue to help our people. we will appreciate you. I thing you,ve knew news in Vanni, last night more than 3000 people were killed by Sri Lankan Army include 800 childrens. please Please keep it up
thank you very much for this report,
can u do more report please.
srilankan goverment are killing tamil people
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
once again thank you so much for bringing out the truth! thank you for showing the sufferings of the Tamils to the international countries!
thank you for caring about the innocent Tamils in Sri Lanka! your work and bravery is greatly appreciated.
Thank you and thank you.
thankyou verymuch son. god bless you . srilankan goverment can kick you out but tamil always keep you in our heart. god bless your family too
Thank you very much Nick’s. You did the right thing. Sri lankan government is Killing tamil civilians using chemical weapons and severe bombartment. You brought tamil’s voice to the world. Again thank you Nick to telling the truth to this closed eyes world. Please continue your service to break the srilankan government’s propaganda. thank you.
Nick, you are a hero. Please continue your fight against the real terrorists-GoSL. British Tamils should arrange a meeting to confer on him some title “Heroic Journalist”.
Nick thankyou very for this report. it makes so happy to see journalists like you. you have brought the truth out.All the things in the reprot are 100 true and only the tamils know that but you have broght it out to the world. please please do more. thankyou
Many thanks Mr.Nick paton walsh.you have opened the eyes of international communities by bringing the truth of sri lanka. Sri lankan President is an animal his people are animals too, that’s why they just hunting people for their food. We all will remember your help. Thanks Again.
Nick paton wlash doing a great ang honest job. he has a good senstive human approch , I support him . WIN TAMILS
no word to say thanks for all my life. u done a good job
sir, thanks for your help for tamil peoples in tamil eelam. try to do best and get eelam and peace for us. thanks sir.
can you help us please srilankan army they are going to kiling all of the people can you say please the true story and into the camp and violence then all of the photos then the will know how they kiling the civilians
thankyou thankyou. only the tamils know the truth and you have broght it out the world. great courage you have to enter and film something like this report with that natsy srilankan goverment. thankyou
Many thanks Nick for helping to bring the truth.
Thanks Nick to bring what is the meaning of government’s rescue mission. It is forced genocide by majority signalise on Tamils.
truth nerver die, somebody has to answer for all the killing. your effort is wel respect from tamil community. we expect more from you.
Nick,you are such a bravest journalist.Truth never dies.
Truth never dies
Thank you for your work Mr.Nick.
Dear Mr. Nick we thanking to you & your city 4 news org. please keep doing your Try to Put The Right News Abouat Realy Situation at VANNI in Sri lankan Tamil try to puplish your other Media friends The Sri lankan Govenment Genoside
Thank you
Movin
UAE
I thing you understood now why Tamil Tigers took Arms and they are fighting with Sri Lanka.please continue to help our people.
Brilliant job Nick Paton Walsh, you told the world what’s happing in Sri Lanka. You shouldn’t worry about comments against your wonderful work.
thanks nick for bringing the truth to the world,also i thank god to,coz he saved ur life.your are lucky to be a british if u r srilankan this time r dead.hope u knew what happen to most independent journalists.
no word to say thaks u
Thank you Nick. You have brought the truth to the world. As a tamil, I know waht have been going on in our lands. There heve been no voices to bring the issues like these out. You did it. I really appreciate your guts.
Thank you Nick Paton Walsh.
Now that Nick you have seen the Tamils sufferings in the hands of Lankan Government and by going through the comments given here by the sinhala people, you can get an idea to what extent false news has been spread through medias by the Government to make the sinhalese support them in all their acts. Overall the government is deceiving its own people by filling their brain with wrong informations.Truth never triumphs… U act on this and spread more awareness among people of the whole world about the ill-treatment of Tamils
Thank you once again.
Good luck
Many Thanks Nick for helping tamils to bring the truth. Tamils seeing the light in the tunnel. Thanks again
thank you Nick telling the truth.
Am I correct in remembering that British weapons were exported to Sri Lanka around 2001 when Tony Blair, the committed Christian led the Labour government? What responsibility do arms dealers have for what happens in wars?
Thankyou for bring the truth to the world. You are the real journalist
thank you very much for your report. . Please do more. best of luck
Hi mr
Nick paton
well done for your hard work ,when thr
srilanka banned the media you went
in the war zoon,you are a hero
thank you
m.moorthy
my all family live in fighting area. yesterday i hered the news that was my father died in vanni (fighting area). i want to do that u have public the real news that everyday tamil people died from srilankan army. if u stop the war in u r media power i think my other whole family live.
thank you for your honest. this is 100% truth.
Channel 4 team, thanks for addressing our Srilankan Tamil people’s current situation. Please continue your efforts to bring the real scenario to the world. Tamil people respects and focused more on your unbiased media efforts.
hi
pls do more for tamil popels.
try to get vidio in vanni
Nick Paton Walsh and Channel 4 news, thank you so much for exposing the Sri Lankan Government and shwoing the other side of the story. You almost risked your life to open the eyes of the international community to let them know the severe and brutal conditions that the innocent tamils experience each and every day.keep up the good work and thank you so much..
Your like GOD to us, please help us more.
thank you very much for your report. We all sri lankans are very much obliged to yiou. Please do more. best of luck
please help for. eelam tamil pepoles i hope some body help for us.
Mr.nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much for the 4th channel. Please help us. Because of Rajabaksa and his brothers are yesterday on 10.05.2009 more than 3000 people died and 4000 have been infringed. Thanks for the support.
anpalagan
Thank you C4 !
many thanks mr.nick paton walsh.
Great job.I appriciate what you have done sofar.
Good job Channl 4,
Congratulation!
Nick Paton Walsh, we Tamils should thank for your great reports , which saw this world horrible face of Sri Lankan government. Now anyone can understand the situation of Tamil journalist. In last three years more than 20 journalist have killed , most of them are Tamil journalist from north and east of Sri Lanka. Nick Paton Walsh might have been killed if he is a Sri Lankan journalist.
thank you so much for brought the truth out. and we know that u guys put your life at risk to do this.now the world knows what is happening in idp camps in srilanka.
hi first of all we would like to thanks channel 4 for their excelent work.you would have now realisaed that how tamils have been suffering by srilankan state governments .if there is nothing to hide why dont srilankan government allow media to cover the story?BE CARE FUL IF U TELL THE TRUTH THEY MIGHT KILL U .THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A YEARS.ONE THONGS IS TRUE .TRUE WOULD COME OUT ONE DAY .IT HAS STARTED TO HAPPEN NOW.
Thank you very much Sir. You did the right thing. Sri lankan government is Killing tamil civilians using chemical weapons and severe bombartment. You brought tamil’s voice to the world. Again thank you Nick to telling the truth to this closed eyes world. Please continue your service to break the srilankan government’s propaganda. thank you.
Nick –
You are the greatest man!!! I support your work very much. You brought the Tamils suffering to the world. Tamils will not forget you!!!
Unfortunately the world doesn’t have a system to bring government like Sri Lanka to the out side of the world. I heard UN is trying to create one system so that UN can involved when this type of situation, and UN doesn’t need to get the government permission.
Again thanks for your work in Sri Lanka. God bless you and your family!!!!!
- Vivek.
Hello Nick,
Thanks for getting some report out of the war torn country. I can find a bunch of people complaining the fallacy in the news. My question to those intelligent brains is, if you feel that those camps are not worse as reported by Nick, then why don’t the sri-lankan government let the journalists to enter the war torn part with free access. Does the sri lankan government is hiding much worser truths than what Nick covered?
Thanks for your risky effort. It is hard to beleive that, in this 21 centuary there places where media cannot go. That itself is giving the message that, something wrong there. Yesterday there was Buddha Purnima(Vesak) festival and the same day 1000s have been killed by this Buddha follwers. Is this the lesson they learnt from Buddha and is this Buddhsim teaches.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH CHANNEL4 FOR BROUGHT THE TRUTH BEHIND THE “WAR ON TERROR” AND THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS. NO ONE CAN FIND THE WORD “FREEDOM” IN SRI LANKA’S DICTIONARY. THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT IS DOING GENOCIDE WITHOUT ANY EYE WITNESS. “One can fool some people some of the time, but no one can fool all the people all the time.” AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH BEHALF OF EELAM TAMILS. KEEP UP WITH YOUR GREAT WORK.
This is the real story what happen in Sri Lanka, Thanx , Nick and team, for your Brave Report, its good time for you guys, you escaped from srilankan defence sec, otherwise his group will kidnap you and killed you.
A great reporter/journalist lasantha wht happen to him, there were so many hidden stories that did not revealed. Only Rupavahini & government… press media
is allowed to take videos and telecast,in
sinhala Language only, that’s why they all still believe Mahindas propaganda against Tamils.
if there is nothing wrong with Srilankan Government they should allow, free media people to Vanni, they cant do it means, there is something hidden by THE Government of SL
sinhales cant tolerate this kind of news thats why they reacting in this manner
i Love my Country , as a eelam tamil I apologise for this incident.
50 people killed by Srilankan Government
and 500 People Joined LTTE. this is the Reality.
again, LOT OF THANKS TO NICK AND TEAM,
“GOD BLESS YOU” guys
As you are a foreign national you won’t disappear OR kidnapped and found dead OR get killed by unidentified gunman OR jailed for years without any conviction, so please bring out our situation to the world and help us! Don’t giveup!
Hi Nick, There is no words to say the value of work you have done, Tamil community will not forget you in their lifelong. Thank you so much again.
then why the hell srilanakan governement no letting any journalists into the internmnet camps?
Hi Nick!
Thankyou so much for everything you did forTamil people, and also sorry what ever happend to you in SriLanka by Srilankan goverment. Please countiune you journalism. again and again tankyou so much, our people never forget you in our life.
alll of the “Credible” information provided by are the mouthpieces of war mongering sri lankan government. Can you deny the brutal riots in 77, much before the armed-struggle gaining momentum?
I I thank your grate work bring the true situation in concentration camp where Tamil people are kept by the srilankan government.
We give our support to continue your great work.
You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here” WELL SAID Mr GOTABAYA. thats why 70% of sri lankan people elected you for protect our country from out side busters.
Thank you sir . you did a grate job.
My dear,
Thank for your great help to truth. Please work for ture.
HI Nick, Wonderful Job. Where can you see three Brothers and their relatives running a country and called Democracy. They Brand the Govt, Authority, Ngo, Journalist, Diplomats who talk fairly as LTTE or LTTE supporter and some time they claim they are on LTTE pay roll also. Also, white Tiger! Sri Lanka Govt has miss led it’s people with blender of lies. Barbaric regim.
Wo
They would only get expelled by a government like the Sri Lankan one cos the TRUTH HURTS!!!
I am sure Channel 4 news crew have more expertise in reporting the news than you would, so keep your biased opinions to yoursel
thank you Nick telling the truth.
Thank you channel 4 for you sort and truth video about the Tamil people life in Sri Lanka but there is more happening I would like the world know all the truth what happening in Sri Lanka thank you again…
well done nick,
thanking you for bringing the suffering of sri lankans tamils to the front and please keep up the good work.. if not for the people like you the government of sri lanka would have wipe out the tamils completly.. I am still missing my aunt from the area no word from her for the last 3 months.. god help her.. thank you channel four..
rhanks a lot..as a jurnalist u did ur duty..but we need more from u sir..please after this incedent don’t drop this project,do it some more how much u can do do it more than that..srilankan goverment repeat one more genocide in this world..doesn’t want to allow them to do this again..so continue it..
you’ve done a good job. Thank you very much. I think that the Sri Lankan goverment has handled you like slaves. Don’t worry, we are on your side. If you need any help, please contact me.
channel 4 is renowned for its capability of bringing truths to light for years. while we appreciate the willingness of nick to go to sri lanka, we terrible regret the fact they were deported in such a manner. sri lanka has achieved another landmark by banning the most number of ppl from its country – 837 by new york times with par to countries like Uk banning just 16.The mistakes of tamil tigers shud nt justify the killing of tamil civilians esp. the ppl the GoSL claims as ‘its’ ppl. well, i do still believ that there is a real climax coming soon. Although speculations r raised abt the end of tigers,analysts accept the intension of tigers wil not ‘die’ wit their demise if it happens. the time wil come soon for IC to step in strongly bt the question is how many ppl wil leave their lives before that. eventhough i m not a strong believer of a seperate state, nw my intuitions are, ( As a sinhala professor told earlier), tamils wil achieve their target by not their intelligence bt the stupidity of sinhalese…
Well done Mr.Nick. Your deportation from Srilanka means something. It means you have reported the TRUTH. Thank god you are a BRITISH national otherwise you might have been killed or kidnapped by now.
Thank you for taking time and doing for us. You now know if anybody supporting Tamils they are terrerist or they are supporing terrerist by the SL governtment and they put in the prison or depoted. They don’t have manners. This is they are doing last 30 years.they are hiding what they are doing otherwise what is the problem for allowing the media in? Now you know the international fund is going to use the millitry that is what we said don’t give the fund to the government. Nobody listen to us we are doing the protest almost six month. but we don’t get the solution for that yet. Can you please help to save our people. The government doing the genocide this is everyone knows. i don’t know why the internationl continuesly silent? Please tell the truth and the world knows. we know what they are doing but nobody beleive us if we tell the truth anbd we asking something they said we are terreist. so please do what you can do. thank you
Thanks for channel 4 news. Thank you Nick Paton Walsh,
Very soon this world will identify the real state terrorists (Terrorists in the mask of government).
brothers will be punished by soon. They might think they won the war. GOD will punish. soon to be you are going to broadcast.
Hi! Nick
Thank you for bringing these facts to the light having taken so much of risk. Your services are invaluable and will be remembered by the Tamil community as long as the last Tamil live in the world.
According to the Tamil sources from Saturday midnight up until this morning about three thousand people have been killed by the Sri Lankan army’s brutal Shelling and bombing activities. It is reported in the Evening standard and Metro as three hundred and seventy eight people. Although none of these papers mentioned the source of the information, one could guess that there was confusion while the information being passed on to these papers.
I appeal to you and your staff to help those Tamils who are being attacked and arrested, by the Sri Lankan Government under the President Rajapakse brothers’ regime who claim themselves to be democrats while taking away the private property rights of the people, destroying the press freedom, denying the food, shelter, clean water and clothing as government, denying access to others who provide them and doing many more indirectly by convincing UNO and UK government to use their advance technology to investigate the matter urgently and save the rest of the population.
The whole world has clearly seen that the Sri Lankan government was not giving the facts correctly at least three times.
1. SLG was saying that there were only 70,000 people in the Vanni while the Tamil sources claimed 350,000. Within weeks world came to know the truth.
2. SLG was saying that people were happy in their so-called internment camps. World know the truth now.
3. Having promised not to use heavy weapons on the people, broken the promises within seconds. World know the truth.
Please help those people.
Where there is a GENOCIDE there is a media/journalist ban. This is what happening in Srilanka. I am glad, you made it Nick.
God gave you the chance to bring the truth to the world. Whoever says bad things about you and trying to connect you with LTTE are doing that just to take you away from helping innocent tamils. We do not talk about LTTE or the SL soldiers. Please do something to save the innocent tamils. God bless you.
well done job. keep it up.
hi mr nick,
help please tamil people.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH NICK YOU DONE A VERY GOOD SERVICE FOR SRI LANKAN TAMIL COMMUNITY AND YOU MUST STOP THE GENOCIDE AGAINT TAMILS IN SRI LANKA.
Weldone ,brave reporters , bring more truth to the world .Terror sri lankan Gov. is hiding everything, what they do to tamils , I f you are kind hearted why cant bring them for a peace talk in sl ,with world negotiaters. wepons aare always danger for you and tamil ,innocent babies and children are dieing daily by your shelling and cluster bombs. Think about the humanitarian way to solve the problem. once again Thanks a lot for the chanel four reporters. Bring more out to the world.
Dear Walsh,
Thank you so much for your support! Please continue your support and bring this truth issues to other medias and save Tamils. Thanks a lot……..All Tamils appriciate your help and support.
I wonder how the British Government or the Police will react if 500 muslims with flags displaying the official flag of Al-Quaida went on a protest in London Westminister square, asking the British Government to stop the Pakistan Givernment from shelling cilivian areas where Al-Quaida are present in the North of Pakistan. I have not heard one condemnation of this. How is this different from the situation in Sri Lanka when the government is fighting a terrorist organisation. Western countries like Britain have double standards. You only support states against terrorists if it suits you.
hi nick i appreciate you. you and your team done the good job. we are tamils depending the independent media like channel 4 news. our community always support your courier
thank you
from
siva
Nick Paton Walsh,Thank you for your hard work, and your crew members.please keep up.God bless you.
thank you for your ngreat work. we are always talking about this problem but you are the person show the TRUE from srilanka to INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THANKYOU SO MUCH
thanks for telling us the truth.please continue your wonderful courageous work as a free neutral journaliste.
.bravo & merci.lucien.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH NICK FOR YOUR INDEPENDENT REPORT YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET DEPORT OTHERWISE THEY KILL YOU LIKE LASANTHA THEN SAY TO MEDIA LTTE KILLED ANOTHER REPORTER. WORLD WILL BELIEVE THOSE LIES.OMG WHAT SORT OF COMMENT THIS STUPID IDIOTS GIVING ABOUT INNOCENT PEOPLE KILLED BY FORCES. DON`T THEY HAVE HEART BLESS THEM IF THEY HAVE IF ANYTHING HAPPENED TO THEIR RELATIVE/FAMILY DO THEY COMMENT LIKE THIS.IF INDEPENDENT REPORT INDEPENDENTLY IT DOES NOT MEAN HE IS SUPPORTING LTTE,
Good that you said a truth that LTTE has kindness of pregnant women, but what you say about that Srilankan government killing all the children and women whether they are pregnant or not? You won’t get a question in you mind or even find an answer, because you got corrupted by the srilankan media which is already under thread.
Nick ,You did a good job for the World.
The world must must do to stop the war .
Armys are doing very bad Sri Lankan P
DS are the mains,
Thank you very much for this report
Please do keep inform us .
anandan from UK.
your professionalism is some thing very pure. You speak for the speechless. People like you bring education to all people living in any corner of this world. In most cases it is the dangerous job. Gothapaya Rajapakse is one of the most powerful person in Sri Lanka.I wonder how you handled the phone call from him. I beg you to bring the truth of any kind of injustice to the light. Save the lives of Tamils from being killed. Thank you
These all happened to you guys, just imagine about the minority journalists in Srilanka.the very recent examples are Vithyatharan and Tissanayagam.
We expect more from your team to tell the truth to the world. i appriciate what you have done sofar.
One more think… if LTTE are terrorist then there wont be a single singhala person alive in Sri lanka.. they will be wiped out a long time ago.. LTTE r freedom fighters who want a free country..basicly MR Pravakaran is the WILLIAM WALLCE of Tamil Eelam who is fighting for a country for his race.
hi nick
thank u for ur help
plsss help more
help our tamilz in kill lanka
thank u
Thank you very much for your report Nick. This is the real face of Sri Lankan government. You and your team should do more to bring out these facts to the world. I really appreciate your hard work.
This is only one single thing had been revealed to the world but there are millions, and I should tell you that all the Sinhalese who given negative comments to you are really support Sinhala racists government and they always try to correct what it had done. Because every Sinhalese think that the Tamils are their soul enemy they should not allow to be developed, if happens there will be no future for Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. This is what their policymakers, politicians and their religion said and taught to them from the beginning; even the Sinhalese Sri Lanka histories said the same. On these none of a Sinhalese can’t oppose or denied that there is not such a thing. So you can’t expect unbiased and straight forward comments from them. What that the channel 4 reporter brought to the world was just a drop of an ocean. If everyone in the world really wants to know everything, they should start analysing from 1950s to now that how many killings and how many massacres, sexual abuses had made against the Tamils in the name of destroying terror in Sri Lanka. As a victim of state terrorism I know the pain of those people in those refugee camps. I really thank the channel 4 reporter for exposing the truth to the world. If the government really oppose his reports are faults then why shouldn’t they prove them self they are genuine. Without that they had just shown themselves as cowards.
let me first thank you for your outstanding work..uneducated brothers who are ruling srilanka since 2005.they have never been to school.they can not speak english then how we can expect media freedom from them..you can notice when they give interviews to media their language skills(broken english)..especialy gothapaya rajapakshe…haaaa haaaa i still laugh about his interview withh bbc…he did not even know the meaning of abduction..he said white van lifting people..what a shame on you mr gothapaya…any way i dont want speak those shameless animals..i appreciate nick for his risky job which brought the fact to the international community…ado sinhala modaya we will get our freedom because of your leaders….thanks nick..keepit up.we will be with you…
Nick you went one step further as a Journalist.
Kudos to your true service and thanks for bringing out the Truth!
GoSL is not man enough to challenge truth and let media reporters in!
Victory soaked in innocent’s blood is a major Defeat!
hey guys, i really want to thank you..thanks a lot for bringing the truth out….
we are really greatfull..to you…
thank you
Dear Mr.Walsh, thanks for your report. It really showed the world of GoSL atrocities. I am sure, if you were allowed further in NFZ you could have given even clear pictures, where GoSL will be taken to UN security council for genocide. Thanks and keep up your good work all around the world.
Nick you have seen yourself whats happening in Sri lanka. please we need your continue support from you. we are all behind you to support . thank you very much.
Thank you very much for the channel 4 reporters.I am kindly asking u this truth should continue always.
Thank you Nick for the completely unbiased report. Unlike may media you’ve concentrated less on what the corrupt politicians make of the camps but rather let the oppressed voices to be heard.Once again,many thanks for revealing the absolute truth.
Sir
this is a good job
this true
continue ur job great media man
Please conininue Srilankan another missing human rights
Please help tamil people.
I thanks You Mr. Nick Paton Walsh for your hournest work in bringing the truth out of the Iron wall in all tricks and power etc. You are really a brave news reporter. There is no sustance for you now to bring the truth.
good work done by channel 4, if its not true then why dont you (slankan govt)allow the world media or some mediators to enter the camps,……..????
This is a golden oppertunity to see what’s happening norhern IDP camps in srilanka.Therefore world leaders can understand about srilanka sitiuation.One day truth will comeout autamatically.
Channel 4 is the best.. I appreciate the daring Journalist who was risked his life to bring out the truth. This is what the world calls as ‘independent reporting’.
You have done a great job. You have done a great favor to humanity by bringing the fact to the world from a secluded, protected place behind barbed wires… Channel 4 has become my favorit and I will keep looking for news reports from Channel 4 and spread the news to my friends also,.. Thanks…
The wholei humanity is highly indebted to your sincere efforts..
thank you very much for your report and tell the truth in the world. We all sri lankans are very much obliged to you. Please do more help to tamil peoples. best of luck
srilankan tigers are not terrorists . the singales government are the terrorist they let the tamil’s die and use weapons even chemical wepons which aren band. thankyou nick and channel four(c 4) for putting this on
you’re a Legend, also please try to save Tamils over there. far as i concerned the Srilankan government just wants to wipe the tamilis from lanka.
Hi sir… Please Continue ur work to save our people…
i’ve to say somthing,
this’s a very criticle situation of srilankan tamils. they are struggling to survival at the moment.
over 10000 tamils are killed,& over 18000 tamils are injured within january to today in 2009.
international community’s press report or condemns doesn’t stop to kill tamils in srilanka,….
think–ready— past—take a deep action to this issue,
don’t care about INDIA
thx to supporting hornets junglist
we have more to tell no freedom to tell our stories ple keep work on it
you are a grade reporter.
because srilanka situations is very danger now.
many srilankan reporters go out of country
but u still there and collect and published more true news.
so srilankan government get out you.
don’t worry we are still with you so lot of thanking for you continue your service.
its true what is said about our country. the sri lankan government is abolishing my people, and after such a long time, the truth is coming out. thank you for your risks and courge Mr. Walsh. we wish you more success in writing true events.
Thank you so much for taking this effort to show the world about srilanka and it is goverment propoganda.I hope world would do something to make ur step as an initiative.I wish you all the best and thankyou again.
Finally the truth haS come out from a genuine foreign journalist
Valzha Channel 4 Valzharha Thamil Eelam
Thank you
we Canadians are whole heatrtedly thank you for your humanitarian efforts and pray god may you live long
1000000000000 time thanks for ur ture service …god bless you….
Kudos for your courage and your intention to bring up the crimes aganist humanity. As a Tamil and a human being, I sallute for your work Sir. You showed the world the TRUTH. We tamils have so many video clips but the world does not belive us since we don’t have any reputed media. Now no one can justify the evil acts of Sri Lanka. Again Thank you very much behalf of a community that face most suffering in the 21st centuary.
NIK!!! YOUR THE MAN!!!!! i give props.
may god bless you for bringing out the truth.Tamils want tamil eelam
thank you very much for your report. We all are very much obliged to yiou. Please do more. best of luck
thank you very much mr.Nick Paton
I think you are the man who get the homeland tamil eelam for us and love tamil tigers and you.
I Thank you for bring the truth to the world behalf of tamileelam Tamils
After this hope hopefully others understand what the SL goverenment is doing to the innocent tamils in SL. Maybe then other countries will step in and help the tamils.
WELL DONE CHANNEL 4 THANKS FOR THE HELP.
DEAR WALSH
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE DON’T HAVE ANY WORDS.
YOU ARE TOUCH OUR HEARTS.
srilankan government has lot to hide thats why they dont’ want jurnalist in.
Thank you for bring the truth to the world. you are the real journalist
Hello Mr Paton Walsh,
thank you verymuch.come on,you are in the right way.State terrorism of Srilankan
must stop against the Tamils.
Justice=Media
thank you very very much nick.you will have a nice life because of all innocent tamil people’s blessing.you did a good thing for them.if we have no one to save us god comes with form of someone.that is you.please believe what we say or find out.try hard.u can do it.u have all english support.please do some thing to bring out the truth.your birth will be meaning full.thank you.you are our son,brother.we will never forgot ur help.u only tell the truth.why srilankan racist singalease screaming at you.i mean only racist singalease.few of them still have heart.and worry about tamils.
shame on singlese government but not chanal 4.if you discribe that your government is democratic,why don’t you let international media to visit srilanka.this is more than enaugh yo understant rajapakse family dictatership.
HELLO NICK THANKS FOR YOU ARE MANY HELP…. BUT TAMIL PEOPLE WANT MORE HELP… YOU ARE BEST AND YOU ARE HERO…. TANK YOU SO MUCH NICK.
Thank you for bring the truth to the world. You are the “Real Journalist” Nick.
Please find more research. Best of Luck.
help please
Thanks for Brocastinng Mr.Nick Paton Walsh True coverage about the Genecide of Tamils in srilanka.
and also agony of the Tamils in the idp camps the srilakan forces are most indiscipline soldiers in the world, the single example about them in Haiti UN peaces keeping mission. The sri Lankan Army (108 ) Peacekeepers Abusing Children In Haiti 27 Sep 08, The srilanka army was guilty and they were deported. Thanks very much for the Mr.Nick Paton Walsh carriage
about the truth that was hidden by the srilanka government iron curtain.
Thanks
kumar
Please Help our people by more reports like you did. bring and make more and more like this kind of reports. you did a very very good and needed Report of our people’s Situation. We were waited for long long for such a independant media reports. Please try to get in to the so called Save zone in Vanni and bring the Truth out to the World. I am Thanking you a lot for what you have done with the Report.
please nick help to stop genocide of tamils which is continuing for the past six decades in srilanka
thank you
not only thamil tiger but also eelam tamil as well as tamil aroung the world.
well done editor, tamils are admair you,bring the truth out for the international communities.
thank you for your help to show all the problem in Vanni, thanks for you and your familly .
iI’m doughter of arun I’m born here in france, my father speek with me the problem in Sri Lanka and I saw in T.V wich one your show thanks for every think and keep it help tamil people .
thanks very very very much!
and god bless you!
Arun Pireyanga.
We thought we are helpless on this planet. Now the world knows what’s happening in Sri Lanka. It’s a great work of C4.
thank you very much for your report. We all sri lankans are very much obliged to yiou. Please do more. best of luck
many thanks to Mr.Nick Paton Walsh for letting the world know about the harsh genicide going on in Sri Lanka. We really appreciate for what you done , and its really been very helpful for the community/country to get to know about the truth.
Thanks a lot
Keetha
thank you brother, thank you .not only this but allso many story is there.
sri lankan government going to kill all tamils plese help plese help…………….
please help our people
thank you very much sir
please help the tamils in srilanka
Thank you so much Mr. Nick Paton for bringing out the truth of tamils in Sri Lanka. Pls keep on working hard and let the world know what is going on in Sri Lanka. Pls save the tamils. My own family is in the IDP camps and suffering every single day with no food not proper sanitation, housing etc…. I am in tears everyday like so many other tamils who have their loved ones in camps and in the war zone. Pls help save these innocent tamils by reporting the truth about this terrorists government of Sri Lanka. Mahindha Rajapaksa we will not forgive u for what u have done to the innocent tamils.
[...] a blog post on Channel 4’s Web site which includes that video report, Mr. Paton Walsh added that Sri Lankan officials made even leaving [...]
[...] was the reaction of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s defense secretary, to Walsh’s report: “Who is this? You rang me earlier? [...]
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