However, on 21 October 2015 the BBC reported that Maxwell Paranagama, a government-appointed Sri Lankan judge, says allegations the army committed war crimes during the long conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels are "credible".

He went on to say there was evidence to suggest that footage obtained by the Channel 4 documentary No Fire Zone - showing prisoners naked, blindfolded, with arms tied and shot dead by soldiers - was genuine.

This footage - direct evidence of war crimes, summary execution, torture and sexual violence - was recorded by both the victims and perpetrators on mobile phones and small cameras during the final 138 days of hell which form the central narrative of the film.

It was described as "beautifully crafted and heart wrenching” by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting in Washington,[13] "utterly convincing" by the Globe and Mail in Toronto - and in the UK, Empire noted: "It is vitally important that this feature reaches the widest possible audience”.

In response to this attempt at censorship No fire Zone was released online for free in India and Malaysia as well as Sri Lanka and Nepal.

In response to the allegations made within this book Channel 4 published a detailed rebuttal written by the film's director Callum Macrae entitled The Uncorrupted Truth [46] The documentary was banned in India from theatrical release as it would damage ties with Sri Lanka.

[47][48] In November 2014 the producers released an updated version of the film containing new evidence, including footage showing the capture, alive, of the LTTE TV presenter Isaipriya.

[51] Also in January 2015, following the defeat of President Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka's presidential election, the film was re-released with a further update in time for a US campus tour organized by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting starting in February 2015.

However, Bandula Jayasekara, a top Sri Lankan diplomat stationed in Australia and a former key media adviser to Rajapaksa, tweeted a message to Callum Macrae while he was there to promote the No Fire Zone.

Callum Macrae was accused of being "hired by [Tiger] terrorists as a full time propagandist for the bloodthirsty terror group overseas" and Bandula Jayasakara threatened to "make sure you don't get a visa".

Additionally, Callum Macrae got many online death threats after telling a Sri Lankan publication that he planned to travel there to cover Chogm.