In Sri Lanka, Civilians Deaths Counted at 1898 by Locals, UN Refuse to Estimate As It Did in Afghanistan, Gaza and Elsewhere

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/ban7srilanka021809.html

UNITED NATIONS, February 18 -- As the UN belatedly dispatches its top humanitarian official John Holmes to discuss the conflict in Sri Lanka, it still refuses to call for a cease fire or even to estimate the number of civilian casualties to date. "The UN does not have a mandate to go and count bodies," its Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe told Inner City Press on Wednesday, when asked about a UN report of 2,118 civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2008. In the absence of a UN estimate of civilians killed so far in 2009 in Sri Lanka, we note local sources' count of 1898. A senior UN official told Inner City Press that because Sri Lanka's government so carefully monitors anything about its offensive against Tamil Tiger-held areas, including going "absolutely nuts at the International Red Cross" for their projections, the UN is reluctant to issue any estimate about Sri Lanka -- or, apparently, a cease fire call.

Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson Michele Montas for the UN's estimate, and whether it was higher or lower than in the Gaza conflict earlier this year. Ms. Montas said she would look into it, and subsequently added to the transcript of the briefing was the line, "The Spokesperson later clarified that the United Nations does not generally issue casualty figures. When the recent United Nations flash appeal for Gaza was launched, for example, it attributed its casualty figures to the Palestinian Ministry of Health."

At the UN's February 18 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ms. Montas' Deputy Marie Okabe for the source of the UN's recent report of 2,118 civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2008. Ms. Okabe said the UN has to rely on "local authorities." Inner City Press noted the UN's dispute with the authorities of Myanmar about how many people died in the wake of Cyclone Nargis last year. Ms. Okabe replied that local authorities include "hospitals, NGOs, people on the ground." But why then no estimate at all about Sri Lanka? Ms. Okabe said she had "nothing to add to what Michele [Montas] told you yesterday." Video here, from Minute 11:19.

Since there is nothing to add, we can only cite the addition attached here, which tabulates over 5000 injured, and 1898 killed, since January 1. It lists dates and place-names since January 26. If government or UN figures emerge we will report them.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/ban7srilanka021809.html