‘Song of Ceylon’ and ‘Sri Lanka’s killing fields’

by Upali Cooray

(June 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The local INFO TV (GFU) channel has been repeating in recent weeks the telecast of an international landmark in documentary film making, which brought immense admiration world over to Sri Lanka; then Ceylon. It’s a genuine depiction of life and culture in this resplendent Isle in the 1930s as seen by a British director by the name of Basil Wright. This film is available on U Tube, if anyone wishes to see it. The title of the film is ‘Song of Ceylon’. Considering the time it was made, this film is still far ahead of many modern day documentaries in conveying its message to the viewer without bias, exaggerations or untruth. This is why ‘The song of Ceylon’ is considered a classic in international documentary film making.

Ironically, 77 years since the ‘Song of Ceylon’, originates a TV documentary titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ also by a British director by the name of Callum Macrae and telecast by Channel 4 of the UK.

One could straight away see the contrast in the titles of the two documentaries which reveals the objectives of the two film makers. The first is a genuine desire and appreciation of the life of our country and the second is a warped desire to spread hatred and disgust of the viewers, towards Sri Lanka.

The selection of title ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ is quite a powerful strategy on account of the fact that Cambodian journalist Dith Pran coined the term ‘Killing Fields’ during his escape from Cambodia, which was made into a film in 1984. The film was a sensational movie, which shocked the viewers, the world over. ‘Killing Fields’ are a number of sites in Cambodia, where a large number of people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime. Although there is controversy over the number of people killed during the Pol Pot era, the most widely accepted number is 1.7 million.

Therefore, using the term ‘Killing Fields’ in the Sri Lankan context is a heinous attempt to provide a resemblance to the Pol Pot regime. This is emphasised specially in a sequence where Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is shown reporting to the President, subsequent to the successful conclusion of the offensive against the LTTE and the background narrator claiming that they are the key figures responsible.

In another instance, one could hear from the narration that Mahinda Rajapakse "was increasingly repressive." Considering the fact that hundreds and thousands, if not millions who view ‘Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields’ are not aware of the true details, the video will cause lasting damage to the country. The arguments that are put forward by the government that the pictures are fakes are immaterial to the majority of viewers. In fact, even those who are well aware that the depiction is exceedingly and unjustifiably weighted against the government hope and wish that the pictures are not true.

The failure of the government to pre-empt this global propaganda barrage or to counter such damaging propaganda effectively is costing the country heavily. The diplomatic service, mostly loaded with unskilled political nominees, cannot withstand this kind of onslaught. What are the companies who are hired to enhance Sri lanka’s reputation at this critical juncture, doing? Cannot the monies being spent on grandiose projects, such as the attempt to hold the Commonwealth Games, be spent on a propaganda blitz against this? While it has to be accepted that TV crews embedded in the war-front during the last stages of the war were heavily partisan towards the government, there is more than ample footage which shows the softer and humane side of the armed forces, during the rescue operation. Also, the history of the LTTEs unprecedented criminal record during the 30 years is well documented on TV footage. Cannot the government or the so called companies promoting Sri Lanka abroad make use of them for a production of a similar documentary, to counter the C4 documentary?

A close up shot of a young girl is shown, speechless with emotion and sadness, among a crowd of Tamil people, peeping through what is supposes to be the iron gate of the Killinochchi UN office, demanding the UN staff not to leave them. UN staffer Benjamin Dix, who is interviewed, claims that he shot this from his camera. This is a masterwork and captures the viewer’s heart through compassion. We are to believe Dix is a master cameraman who is capable of capturing this touching portrait with a zooming close-up in that commotion? Some of the shots that are supposed to have been captured by mobile cameras are better than those provided by professional film crews, with close ups and zoom lenses. This is too good to be true!

It is up to the government to make use of the best specialists available in this field and expose the scam. This is a very well made ‘production’ and not an authentic report of facts. That battle hardened soldier, Shavendra Silva is seen fighting valiantly in the international arena in defense of Sri Lanka, but he appears to be a loner.

A major part of the film is devoted to a narration of Vany Kumar who is suppose to be a British citizen, who is said to have been entrapped among the refugees during the last phase of the war. Her narration, with intermittent shots of what are supposed to be hospitals and refugee camps in the no fire zone, is mainly focused on the alleged shelling of hospitals in the war zone by government forces. The fact that LTTE artillery positions were set up in the hospital compounds is cleverly omitted. In short, what the film is trying to say is that the no fire zones were declared by the government, in order to kill as many as possible, whether civilian or not. It is now known beyond doubt that this woman was a LTTE member, operating under various non–de–plumes.

There is only a passing reference to the fact that the civilians were held hostage by the LTTE. There is no mention whatsoever that the LTTE artillery positions also moved with the civilians.

The makers of this film appear to have taken a leaf from Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’, where Hitler has devoted one entire chapter to the subject of propaganda. This is what Hitler has stated; "propaganda must not investigate the truth objectively, and in so far as it is favorable to the other side, present it according to the theoretical rules of justice; yet it must present only that aspect of the truth which is favorable to its own side. (...) The receptive powers of the masses are very restricted and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated, until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea that has been put forward. (...) Every change that is made in the subject of a propagandist message must always emphasise the same conclusion. The leading slogan must of course be illustrated in many ways and from several angles, but in the end, one must always return to the assertion of the same formula." (Source: Wikipedia)

Accordingly, the conclusion being emphasised to the world by C4 is ‘War Crimes"’ in Sri Lanka.

It will need a well planned and concerted effort with intelligent strategies to circumvent this barrage, of anti-Sri Lanka propaganda. Street fighter approaches will bring more discredit to our country.