{"id":33771,"date":"2014-10-03T18:37:28","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T22:37:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=33771"},"modified":"2014-10-03T18:40:49","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T22:40:49","slug":"interpretation-errors-make-mockery-of-missiong-persons-commission-sittings-in-kilinochchi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=33771","title":{"rendered":"English-Tamil and Tamil -English Interpretation Errors Make Mockery of Missing Persons Commission Sittings in Kilinochchi"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Zahrah Imtiaz In Kilinochchi<\/strong><\/p>\n

A translation most confused and misleading by interpreters, from English to Tamil and vice versa, was witnessed by me when covering the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, at a session held by them in Kilinochchi on Sunday, 28 September.<\/p>\n

Two such errors in translation, which were also highlighted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)…<\/p>\n

…representatives present on the occasion, two women witnesses were led in evidence.<\/p>\n

Excerpts of those questions asked by former High Court Judge, Maxwell Paranagama, who presided at those sessions, as its Chairman and the related translations are given below:-<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Paranagama to witness: You don’t know from where the shelling was coming from?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Translator to witness: Entha muhamil iIrunthaneenkal endru solla mudiyuma ? (Can you tell us the camps where you were at?)<\/em><\/p>\n

Commission: How many people came to take her?<\/strong><\/p>\n


\nTranslator: Unkaloda eththanai per antha idaththil irunthargagal? Eththnai per pathukappukkaha ange irunthargal ? (How many people were staying in that place with you? How many people were staying there for security?)<\/em><\/p>\n

When this reporter pointed out these errors in translation to Paranagama, he said that he was aware of such errors. He further said, consequent to the witnesses testifying before the Commission, they also gave evidence before the officials of the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department.<\/p>\n

The evidence given before the Commission is compared with what they had told the AG’s Department. If there is a discrepancy in the evidence given, then what is taken as final is the evidence given to the AG’s Department, said Paranagama.<\/p>\n

Questions raised by the Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, Maxwell Paranagama at a Commission sitting at Killinochchi on Sunday, 28 September, gave the impression that the Commission was more interested in getting answers, which were more suitable to their ears than hearing the truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Given below are excerpts of the session as recorded by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), whose representatives, together with this reporter, were also present at the Commission sittings.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nWas there shelling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Shell attacks continued nonstop.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nShell attack was to prevent you from crossing, no?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We were allowed to go into the Army- controlled area and Army was there with us and they were directing us to move into the area. And shells started to hit behind.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nShells came from behind you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: No the shells started to hit behind. It came over our heads.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nThat means from the LTTE side, no?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Yes. We were moving from the LTTE side into the Army side. And the Army was there with us and they were directing us. And the shells started to go over our heads and exploded behind.<\/p>\n


\nQ:
\nThat is, LTTE was shelling in order to prevent you from crossing over to the Army side?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We can’t identify that. We wanted to safeguard our lives. We were in fear for our lives. We can’t say as to who could have shelled.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nDid LTTE encourage you to cross over to the Army side?
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: Not so, not like that. At the beginning we were obstructed, we were stopped from going into the Army-controlled area.<\/p>\n

Q:
\nThe LTTE was trying to cover themselves with you all being there?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A: We can’t say that. The situation was such that we can’t say that. There was commotion.<\/p>\n


\nCourtesy:Ceylon Today<\/em><\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Zahrah Imtiaz In Kilinochchi A translation most confused and misleading by interpreters, from English to Tamil and vice versa, was witnessed by me when covering the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons, at a session held by them in Kilinochchi on Sunday, 28 September. Two such errors in translation, which were also highlighted by the …<\/p>\n

Continue reading ‘English-Tamil and Tamil -English Interpretation Errors Make Mockery of Missing Persons Commission Sittings in Kilinochchi’ »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33771"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33771"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33774,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33771\/revisions\/33774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}