Military authorities in northern Sri Lanka are accused of deceiving people in Kilinochchi to take part in a protest against Britain’s Channel4 television.

Those who took part in a protest against the controversial Sri Lanka Killing Fields film in Kilinochchi say they were tricked into take part in a meeting about relief programmes by the military.

The protest was held on Friday while President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, was on a visit to northern Sri Lanka.

Resettled internally displaced people took part in the protest were transported by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicles and was offered breakfast before handing out placards, they told BBC Sandeshaya.

'Not voluntary'

They were also told that the aim of the protest was to ask more food and aid for the resettled people in Kilinochchi.

A selected group of media personnel was invited to cover the event.

They protesters insist that they did not voluntarily take part in the protest.

The controversial footage by the British channel alleges that Sri Lanka military as well as the Tamil Tigers committed war crimes during the last stage of the civil war.

The Sri Lanka government says the footage is fake and biased.