The Ceylon News

United Nations, June 02: UN chief Ban Ki-moon Tuesday "categoriacaly rejected" that his office "underestimated" civilian casualty figures in the conflict between LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army, saying the reports about the death of 20,000 people "did not emanate" from the world body.

Ban reiterated his strong concerns over "unacceptably high" civilian casualties in the Lankan conflict while rejecting in the strongest terms any figure attributed to the United Nations.

Briefing the General Assembly on his recent visit to Sri Lanka and other countries, Ban said media reports alleging that some 20,000 civilians may have been killed during the last phase of the conflict "do not emanate from the UN and most are not consistent with the information at our disposal."

Last month, Sri Lanka’s Government declared that its military operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was over, ending more than two decades of fighting.

"I categorically reject – repeat, categorically – any suggestion that the United Nations has deliberately under-estimated any figures," the Secretary-General underscored.

"Let me also say, whatever the total, the casualties in the conflict were unacceptably high – as I have also said repeatedly," he added.

Ban told the Assembly that during his May 22-23 visit to the South Asian island nation, he pressed the Government to heed international calls for an inquiry into alleged abuses and underscored the need for full accountability and transparency.

"Any inquiry conducted by the international community would require, first, the full cooperation of the host government, or, second, the support of the UN Member States, expressed through the Human Rights Council, the General Assembly or the Security Council," he said.

At the Human Rights Council’s special session on Sri Lanka last week, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that investigating abuses allegedly committed against civilians by both the Government and LTTE will help the country transition into a new future.

"There are strong reasons to believe that both sides have grossly disregarded the fundamental principle of the inviolability of civilians," Pillay had stated, with the LTTE being accused of using civilians as human shields and the Government reportedly using heavy weapons on the small and densely-populated area of conflict in northern Sri Lanka.

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," she said.