UN calls for inquiry on "unacceptably high" civilian death toll in Sri Lanka by UN News & agencies 2:10pm 28th May, 2009   May 2009    UN calls for inquiry on "unacceptably high" civilian death toll in Sri Lanka. (The Guardian)    A senior UN official said the civilian death toll from the Sri Lankan government"s crushing of the Tamil Tiger insurgency was "unacceptably high" and should be the subject of an official inquiry.    John Holmes, the head of the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs (OCHA), said many thousands of people had died in the final days of the government offensive, and accused the Sri Lankan army of using heavy weapons on a coastal strip that was supposed to have been a no-fire zone.    "When there are allegations of this kind, allegations on both sides, they need to be looked into, they need to be investigated," Holmes said. "We had hoped that the UN Human Rights Council would look into this, but as you know they took a different path."    On Wednesday, the council voted in Geneva to uphold a resolution put forward by the Sri Lankan government congratulating it on its military victory, sparking outrage from many countries.    One UN official, who did not wish to be named, noted that the council had approved an investigation into civilian deaths caused by the Israeli army offensive in Gaza at the beginning of the year. "Gaza is a very good comparison. TV was there all the time. Sri Lanka could easily be 10 times worse but there were no cameras. The world wasn"t there to see," the official said. The Colombo government restricted press access to the war zone throughout its offensive.    The UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, has said she is still prepared to pursue an investigation of the alleged atrocities, but would require the approval of the Sri Lankan government – an unlikely event.    Asked about a report in The Times citing that 20,000 civilians had been killed in the final throes of the campaign, Holmes said. "The truth is we simply don"t know".. "We do know the death toll was unacceptably high," Holmes said. "There were several thousand dead, and there was an obligation of the government of Sri Lanka to use every possible restraint. There was a no-fire zone in which they said they were not using heavy weapons, and we believe they were."    On 19 May, the Guardian carried a report from one health worker who estimated that 15,000 people had died in the last four months of fighting. Questions remain about what happened to the wounded who were in a makeshift hospital when medical staff fled. Neither the UN nor the Red Cross could account for them . Doctors working in the no-fire zone have been detained.    The Red Cross said yesterday it was still not being given access to the war zone, hindering efforts to pave the way for a return home for the estimated 300,000 people who fled the fighting.    Holmes, who visited the government-run refugee camp at Menik Farms at the weekend, said conditions there were "not brilliant but acceptable". He added: "Our bigger concern is the nature of the camps. They are militarised and people are not allowed in or out."    26 May 2009    Investigating human rights abuses committed against civilians by both the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil rebels will help the country transition into a new future, the United Nations human rights chief stated.    “There are strong reasons to believe that both sides have grossly disregarded the fundamental principle of the inviolability of civilians,” Navi Pillay said in a video message to the Human Rights Council’s special session on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka.    Ms. Pillay said an “independent and credible international investigation into recent events should be dispatched to ascertain the occurrence, nature and scale of violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as specific responsibilities.”    The LTTE has been accused of purposefully preventing civilians from leaving the conflict zone, forcefully conscripting people, and using civilians as human shields. “There were even alleged cases of the LTTE firing on civilians as they sought to flee, or targeting with suicide attacks checkpoints as the [internally displaced persons] IDPs left the area,” Ms. Pillay said.    For its part, the Government utilized heavy weapons on the small and densely-populated area of conflict in Sri Lanka’s north, she noted, in spite of assurances that it would take precautions to protect civilians. Further, Government forces allegedly shelled a hospital several times in the last weeks of fighting, and accusations that the army may have killed LTTE members as they were trying to surrender would constitute violations of the laws of war.    “Establishing the facts is crucial to set the record straight regarding the conduct of all parties in the conflict,” the High Commissioner for Human Rights stressed, with victims and survivors to the conflict entitled to justice and remedies.    In her message to the 47-member Council, she reiterated the call issued by Mr. Ban to tackle the root causes of the conflict. “A new future for the country, the prospect of meaningful reconciliation and lasting peace, where respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms can become a reality for all, hinges upon such an in-depth and comprehensive approach,” she said.    May 21, 2009    Sri Lanka is under mounting pressure over alleged war crimes committed by its military forces during the bloody closing stages of the war with Tamil Tiger rebels.    The British Government said it wants a probe into what it calls the "truly shocking and appalling" numbers of civilian dead. Amnesty International said "the mounting evidence of serious violations of international law" must be investigated.    UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon said he was troubled by the loss of so many civilian lives. "It is most important that every effort be undertaken to begin a process of healing and national reconciliation". He said the legitimate aspirations of Sri Lankan Tamils and other minorities needed to be fully addressed and he called for a "credible" devolution of power in Sri Lanka.    This echoed a demand made by India earlier this week that Sri Lanka take steps towards "the effective devolution of power" so that Tamils can "feel at home and lead lives of dignity of their own free will".    UNICEF, has called for full access to camps housing displaced Tamils. "Access to camps for internally displaced persons within Sri Lanka has become restricted," UNICEF executive director Ann Veneman said in a statement. "Full and unimpeded humanitarian access must be ensured so that children and women can receive the assistance they so desperately need."    James Elder, the spokesman for UNICEF in Sri Lanka, said many refugees had recently arrived at camps sick and malnourished. "The number of people is more than a quarter of a million", he said. "This massive influx of people who have endured extreme conditions of war, together with horrendously inadequate food and water, puts an even greater strain on the systems of health, sanitation, and water in these already grossly overcrowded camps."
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