US Ambassador shakes hands with (another) Sri Lankan war criminal

by admin
Oct 18, 2024

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung met with accused war criminal Sampath Thuyacontha this week, as Washington continued to ramp up military ties with Colombo despite the longstanding record of human rights abuses.

Chung tweeted photographs of her meeting with the new Secretary of Defence – a military figure who boasted of causing “chaos” during the Mullivaikkal genocide. Thuyacontha was the Wing Commander of the No 09 squadron, a helicopter gunship squadron that conducted nearly 400 missions during the genocide.

The genocide, which concluded in May 2009, saw tens of thousands of Tamil civilians massacred by the Sri Lankan military who indiscriminately bombed hospitals and government declared ‘No Fire Zones’.

Read more: Another accused Sri Lankan war criminal appointed as Defence Secretary

“I had a productive meeting today,” said Chung. “We discussed the strong U.S. commitment to regional security, defense cooperation, and good governance. Together, we’re reinforcing the U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership to promote peace, stability, and shared security interests.”

The meeting came as the US officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), as part of increasing military cooperation between the two countries.

Also this week, Chung attended the graduation ceremony of Sri Lankan police officers who completed a US-funded training program.

“The fight against crime in Sri Lanka requires a united front,” she said. “You may have heard of the television show in America called “CSI, Crime Scene Investigation” the very training you all received. We see actors on screen convey the tireless dedication of police officers to investigate crime and seek justice.

“But this isn’t limited to Hollywood alone. You all are doing this every day on the streets of Colombo and all around Sri Lanka, to your families and your communities. You are the everyday heroes.”

“I hope you can sense that through programs like this, the United States is committed to helping strengthen the institution of the police. We are committed to helping you help victims. We are committed to helping you pursue justice.”

“Subha gamanak veva,” Chung concluded, the Sinhalese for “Have a nice journey”.

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Amaran - Problematic propaganda

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The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

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Official trailer for film below.

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