‘No Fire Zone’ movie in Sinhala

10 March 2015 11:18 am

Channel 4 film director Callum Macrae who exposed Sri Lanka's alleged war crimes and took the famous picture of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran's son eating a snack just before he was shot dead will release a new Sinhala version of his award winning documentary "No Fire Zone" in the premises of the House of Commons possibly souring Britain's relation with Sri Lanka.


According to the Times of India, The launch will be attended by director Callum Macrae and will have the presence of British MPs—Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, Conservative MP Lee Scott and others from parliament.


The documentary was nominated for the prestigious Emmy award. India refused the film a censorship certificate, explaining in part that it might "strain friendly relations with Sri Lanka." India also refused a visa to director Callum Macrae.


The meeting will also be addressed by exiled Sinhalese writer Bashana Abeywardane.


The release of the version will coincide with the visit of the new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to the UK and will take place a day before he is due to have dinner with the Queen.


Macrae says: "The films intend to allow the majority Sinhala population to see for the first time the shocking evidence of war crimes and massacres committed at the end of the war by their own government's forces."


The producers said they will challenge the current ban on the film in India, Malaysia and Nepal.


The film was described by Prime Minister David Cameron as "one of the most chilling documentaries I have watched".


But until now the film has been effectively banned in Sri Lanka. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had asked the public to inform on anyone "secretly helping" the filmmakers.


However president Sirisena's government has repeatedly promised to lift restrictions on the internet "and end the intimidation, enforced disappearances and killings of journalists in Sri Lanka," said Macrae.