ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ByƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Gomin Dayasri

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Statistics are like bikinis. What they expose is revealing what they conceal is suggestive.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Accountability is to reach an authenticated number of civilians dead and not act silly with fairy tales of a zero civilian casualty number or become traumatized with horror stories of over 40,000 civilian deaths. In war, civilian casualties are inevitable but it is no war crime, unless civilians are intentionally targeted and fire power utilized is beyond the limits of proportionality.

Numbers disclosed in the researched UN Country Team Report (2009) challenge allegations that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-tens of thousandsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of civilians were killed in the last days of the war against LTTE terrorism. Country Team Report placed killings at 7,721 and injured at 18,479 from August 2008 up to 13 May 2009. This includes civilians killed / injured by the LTTE and LTTE cadres killed and injured. The terminal date of the Country Team Report is placed at 13 May 2009 (war extended until 19 May) as the count thereafter became ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-too difficultƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to manage. This report has value, to test the veracity on competing figures originating from government and pro LTTE sources. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ironically Ban-kin Moon has failed to release the much sought after UN document to assist in determining accountability. Notwithstanding the concealed Country Team Report, Ban- kin Moon in Mumbai (28.4.2012/Indrani Bagehi of TNN) claimed ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-tens of thousands people were killedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Understandably he desires to suppress the UN Report that makes such pronouncements stupid.

However, Moon did hand the undisclosed Country Team Report, to his three-member Panel of Experts (POE) chaired by Darusman which compiled the controversial Darusman Report. Naturally the Team Report did not satisfy MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s POE in their valiant attempt to justify 40,000 civilian deaths were caused by Sri Lankan Forces without supporting evidence; solely based on conjecture. MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s POE reached the 40,000 casualty mark on a vague assumption which they explained in their Report:

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-A number of credible sources have estimated that there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths. Two years after the end of the war, there is still no available figure for civilian deaths, but multiple sources of information indicate that a range of up to 40,000 civilians cannot be ruled out at this stageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Contradictions galore ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” as Darusman Report asserts ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-there is still no available figures for civilian deathsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and then conjures ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-40,000 civilian deaths cannot be ruled out at this stageƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, without a reference to the Country Team ReportƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s conclusion that had clinically arrived at a number after months of research on aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  compilation based on an organized framework.

UN Country Team was an ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Internal Crisis Operation GroupƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ set to UN standards using national staff of the UN, NGOƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s and Government officials in Wanni. An incident logged required verification from triple sources or double counted. They neither accepted reports from Government or Tamil Net, both were deemed biased.

The County Team Report number of 7,721 was a problem in reaching ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-tens of thousandsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ bench mark; a gap it had to overcome since it was too great to bridge. Significantly the Darusman Report exhibited 23 formal letters, most of no worth as annexure; yet failed to make the Country Team Report as an exhibit ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”being the solitary UN assembled contemporaneous on-the-spot ground report on accountability with numbers indicating death and injury respectively. UN Country Team Report still remains unknown in the public domain. Moon and his Panel failed to reveal comprehensively the Country Team Report in their custody preferring to stretch their hand to deflate and discredit the number of 7,721 civilian deaths- placing reliance on uninformed sources without an iota of material evidence collected on a scientific basis and arrived at 40,000 dubious civilian deaths. To use a current clichƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚© the basis possibly was in a realm where ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-only god knowsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

Darusman Report had to debunk the Country Team Report to keep alive the 40,000 civilian death symbol. Why? UN Country Team Report did not reach the anticipated aggregate of around 40,000 civilian deaths-so it had to be discarded! ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Darusman Report sought to give credence to unidentified sources: UN Country TeamƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s 7,721 deaths and 18,479 injuries was an embarrassment that needed a by-pass. Darusman Report failed to adduce a reason for accepting unnamed sources that placed civilian deaths at 40,000 instead presented two feeble grounds to reject the UN Country Team Report.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Firstly, it is alleged ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-it only accounts for that were actually observed by the network of observers who were operational in LTTE controlled areasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. (That work- out is consistent with the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-best evidence ruleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ using observers deep in LTTE controlled areas in the midst of live action: surely preferable to hearsay material originating from a territory outside the war zone); Secondly, they held out ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-after the UN stopped counting on 13 May the number of civilian casualties grew rapidlyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. (Wrong again, there was an exodus during the period from the LTTE controlled areas to government controlled areas. Facts speak for themselves as arrivals to government controlled areas are available in the month of May ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” 13^th 401, 14^th 3,805, 15^th 9,927, 16^th 7,289 and 17^th 80,455 aggregating to 101,877. Would such large numbers trek if civilians did not feel secure or were likely to be killed or maimed?) Are these acceptable reasons for rejecting outright a contemporaneous Report by UN officialsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ resident in the vicinity of the fighting and accept numbers from undisclosed sources without supporting evidence compiled beyond the seas. Undoubtedly the UN Country Team Report was in MoonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s unwanted list.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Last 5 days of war would increase the figure of 7,721 civilian deaths but the toll did not to reach even ten thousand as revealed on the enumeration conducted by the Department of Census & Statistics. Significance is the weird methodology utilized in the Darusman Report to take the unsubstantiated 40,000 figure as the preferred option to the calculations done on a recognized basis in the UN Country Team Report.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ UN Country Team Report of 7,721 killed from August 2008 to 13 May 2009 is broadly consistent with the Department of Census & Statistics enumerated number of 7,896 of deaths in the Northern Province during the period of 1 January to 31 May 2009. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Enumeration was carried out mainly by Tamil School Teachers resident in the North. Table attached ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ shows the total death toll in the Northern Province between January and May which reads 8,998 deaths of which old / sickness / natural disasters account for 1,122 deaths [old / sick 1,067, natural disasters 35] while the rest amounts to 7,896 deaths [ accident 454, others 6,858, not stated 584].

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ——- ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  7896—————————-

(Source: Department of Census & Statistics)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Placing civilian deaths at 7,896 outside natural causes would also include LTTE cadres killed in action, civilians killed by the LTTE while escaping, civilians killed in crossfire, civilians who escaped from the conflict area and are now living in other parts of Sri Lanka or abroad and those found alive.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

Food was supplied to 305,000 people on a population estimate provided by the Government Agent, Wanni while the UN World Food Programme called for food for 250,000, UN Resident Coordinator placed maximum population at 180,000. Numbers that did the crossing from LTTE held areas are recorded at 293,826 which is the largest human rescue operation undertaken.

On a conservative estimate 7,000 ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” 8,000 civilians including LTTE combatants met with untimely death. Indeed a long distance away from the figure of 40000 relied by Moon and Darusman.