Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Censorship in the No Fire Zone by Commander (Rtd) S Thayaparan
Friday, July 05, 2013
From Malaysiakini "By investigating war crimes in Sri Lanka I am acting no
differently, than when I made films investigating allegations of war
crimes by British and American forces in Iraq." - Callum Macrea, director of ‘No Fire Zone' COMMENT
Certain news items get lost in the shuffle. We begin to expect certain
reactions from the current regime when it comes to the censorship of
certain "sensitive matters". However, when the security apparatus of the
state is used on the behest of others or the perception of this is
created, that really sticks in my craw. By now, some readers may have become aware of the commotionat the screening of Callum Macrea's ‘No Fire Zone' at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) on Wednesday. Macrea,
who with his series of Channel 4 documentaries on the alleged war
crimes committed by the Sri Lankan security forces during the final
phases of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in
2009, gained international acclaim not to mention caused international
outrage against the Sri Lankan government.
The Sri Lankan government has attempted to portray Macrea as a paid LTTE propagandist but as Macrea (left) reminded everyone in an interview with Ceylon Today,
"Can I remind you what my films have said, over and over again: The
LTTE is guilty of war crimes. They are guilty of using terror tactics,
of forcibly conscripting child soldiers and using suicide bombers. In
the latest film ‘No Fire Zone', I ran horrifying footage of LTTE suicide
attacks in areas full of innocent civilians." So all this talk
of being a paid sympathiser for the LTTE is bunkum, which surprisingly
enough is the kind of tactics employed by certain governments against
journalists like Robert Fisk and Eric Margolis. Embassy calls the shots At
an arranged meeting with Macrea by a young former journalist turned DAP
activist before the screening of his documentary together with a
prominent social scientist of a leading national university, we
discussed his work amongst other issues and the ineffectiveness of the
United Nations in Sri Lanka and other parts of world. Then I went
for the screening of the documentary. Ten minutes into the screening,
the state security apparatus showed up wanting entry into the venue.
Now, the Sri Lankan government had already made it clear, that they did
not want this documentary to be screened. I asked KLSCAH representative, Tang Ah Chai, about the manoeuvres made by the Sri Lankan authorities with regards to the screening of this film. He
said: "On July 2, the personal assistant of Sri Lanka High Commission
(SLHC) Dilrukshi Seneviratne called me and said that they wanted to meet
with our (KLSCAH) president on July 3. But there was no mention of any
matter to be discussed. "My president was not available at the
suggested time, so Mr Liau Kok Fah (chairperson of Civil Rights
Committee of KLSCAH) followed up with SLHC. On July 3, around 8:30pm, I
received a fax from SLHC." Of
interest to readers is the content of the fax, which states: "I would
like to inform you that it has been brought to our notice that a group
of sympathisers of proscribed LTTE terrorist organisation has been
making arrangements to screen a documentary film titled ‘No Fire Zone'
that is based on false distorted facts of events during the fight
against the LTTE terrorists in Sri Lanka. "I have also been
informed that the Censorship Board of the Government of Malaysia has not
granted them permission for them to screen such a film. I am of the
view that screening such a documentary would affect the harmony and
peaceful coexistence of different sections of the people in Sri Lanka
and also Malaysia in the long run. "Our mission has already
requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and Censorship
Board of the Government of Malaysia to ensure that no such film is
screened in this country against the people and government of Sri Lanka
and to ensure smooth and peaceful coexistence of the peace loving and
for the enhancement of warm and cordial bilateral relations between our
two peoples." Kula defends organisers DAP's M Kulasegaran (below),
who is Ipoh Barat MP, responded to the organisers' call for lawyers
when it became apparent that the "security personnel wanted admittance
into the hall". This is what Kulasegaran had to say. Consider this a
firsthand account of a participant who was in the centre of the
commotion. "The
screening started at about 7.30pm. The organisers barged in asking if
any lawyers can come out of the theatre area to speak to some
‘government agencies' which wanted to stop the screening. "I was
asked and I went out to meet the ‘raiders'. I introduced myself and
asked under what authority the officers have come. To my shock there
were from, KDN (Home Ministry) filming department, the police,
Immigration and some suspicious-looking characters. "The presence
of over 70 personnel shocked me. Why their interest and three
departments for a major international movie. What great sin is being
screened to warrant this raid? "The officer immediately said he
was from the KDN and had received a complaint that we were screening a
movie that infringes the Film and Censorship Act. I immediately asked,
could he produce the necessary documents for him to conduct the raid,
but he said this was not necessary under the act. "I asked who
had filed the complaint, he said this could not be divulged. I retorted
it was in the public domain that Sri Lanka and its local connections
were the ones. He just smiled and refused to say any further. "Thereafter,
I reminded the officer if he was aware the film was screened in
Parliament House earlier and he nodded his head. I asked ‘why you chaps
did not raid Parliament', he replied, how can they raid Parliament. "I
further retorted that the documentary was already available online. He
declined to say anything. As the argument was proceeding, we invited the
‘raiders' to go to the adjoining office to discuss this further. He
agreed. "At the adjoining office, a deal was struck. The
screening could proceed uninterrupted and at the end, they would enter
the theatre and take the soft copy of the video, etc. They would also
check the identities of those present. "I realise they had felt
many foreigners, especially Sri Lankan Tamils, could be there, and if
so, arrest them and deport them, thus satisfying the Sri Lankan
authorities who think Sri Lankans were behind all this." Screening in Parliament I
asked Kulasegaran of the screening in Parliament, to which he replied,
"The screening of the film ‘No Fire Zone' has been a discussion among
NGOs for the last two plus week. We were fortunate that the Caucus for
the Displaced People of Sri Lanka of the Malaysian Parliament went ahead
and screened the video in Parliament House during the lunchtime. "Over
15 MPs of all races attended and saw for themselves the atrocities of
war crimes. The organisers were initially worried if the screening would
be stopped. I told them in Parliament, they wouldn't dare." Kulasegaran has been consistent on his stand on the issue of Sri Lanka and has been raising the issue in Parliament. He
said: "Last year, many MPs raised the failure of the government to vote
in favour of the resolution to support UN on the violations of human
rights in Sri Lanka, which noted with concern that an internal inquiry
report in Sri Lanka did not adequately address ‘serious allegation' of
violations of international law. "Malaysia's failure to support
the motion is unacceptable. We know the real reason is its business
links with the Sri Lankan interest." After
the screening, one young woman related, "The lights were switched on
and we were told by the organisers that KDN and Immigration officers
wanted to see our ICs. There was some uproar and people demanded to know
why. "The organisers asked us to cooperate and show them our
ICs. Several people tried to question the officers, asking, ‘Why do we
have to show you our ICs?' No response. They would not tell us.
Initially the officers wanted to take down details, like our full names
and IC numbers, but we refused and in the end, we just flashed our ICs
in front of them." Let me be very clear. I have no problem with
the Sri Lankan government wanting to "censor" this film, even if for the
ridiculous reason of " good bilateral relations", however what I object
to is the fact that our security or public institutions that are
supposed to safeguard our interest are being used as proxies (possibly)
for foreign interest.
