Email 
Print 
The other "100 days"
Written by: Andrew Stroehlein
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
It seems the media have been gearing up for the "100 days" milestone of Obama's presidency since election night -- not just in the US, but around the world. There's nothing like a long-predictable news peg for getting op-eds honed, reporters positioned and TV news graphics coordinated. Such extensive preparation creates a momentum of the mainstream news machine that is almost impossible to divert off course, even with a "we're all going to die" porcine pandemic story.
But there is another "100 days" story: on 20 January 2009, the same day as Obama's inauguration, the UN began tallying civilian casualty figures in the war in northeastern Sri Lanka. As government forces steadily constricted the rebel LTTE (Tamil Tigers) into a smaller and smaller zone, some 200,000 civilians were trapped, shelled by their own army and prevented from leaving with equally lethal force by the cult-like LTTE who claim to fight in their name.
In recent weeks, more than 150,000 civilians have escaped from the area, which now measures less than ten square kilometres, but the UN and Red Cross estimate 50,000 to 60,000 civilians remain trapped in the death zone. After significant political pressure from the international community -- including from Obama's Administration, by the way -- the government yesterday pledged to stop using heavy weapons.
Despite this, fighting continues to rage around the trapped civilians, including reports of government artillery and air attacks. Conditions for those who have fled to government-controlled territory are horrendous, with reports of scores dying from lack of food, water, and medical treatment. The Sri Lankan military refuses to allow the ICRC and UN and other humanitarian agencies access to those most in need of urgent care.
Today, after 100 days of the UN's body count, we know that at least 6500 people are dead. Over 13,000 have been injured, including 1000 children. And the counting continues...
I don't pretend this "other 100 days" is going to make much of a dent in the media frenzy over the unofficial end of the beginning of Obama's Administration, but who knows? There may be some media gatekeepers out there who opt for news of massive human suffering over a stale anniversary peg.
Reuters AlertNet is not responsible for the content of external websites.
We welcome argument but AlertNet will not publish comments that are racist, abusive or libellous.
3 responses to “The other "100 days"”
Please note that comments should not be regarded as the views of Reuters.
Leave a Reply
When you submit a comment to us we request your name, e-mail address and optionally a link to a website. Please note where you submit a website address, we may link to it via your name. By sending us a comment, you accept that we have the right to show the comment and your name to users. Although we require your email address, this will not be published on the site, and is only required to enable us to check facts with you, e.g. if you are making a claim we can not confirm easily. Additionally, if you would like your comment removed at anytime, you'll have to use this e-mail address when you contact us. To remove a comment at any time please e-mail us at blogs-(at)-reuters-(dot)-com (address obscured to avoid spam) specifying who you are and what you would like removed. We moderate all comments and will publish everything that advances the post directly or with relevant tangential information. We reserve the right to edit comments in order to maintain the quality of the comments, and may not include links to irrelevant material. We try not to publish comments that we think are offensive or appear to pass you off as another person, and we will be conservative if comments may be considered libelous. Reuters will use your data in accordance with Reuters privacy policy. Reuters Group is primarily responsible for managing your data. As Reuters is a global company your data will be transferred and available internationally, including in countries which do not have privacy laws but Reuters seeks to comply with its privacy policy.
All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content in this article, including by framing or by similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.
Journalist Andrew Stroehlein is Communications Director for the International Crisis Group, the conflict resolution organisation, where he promotes responsible coverage of current and potential conflicts and helps draw attention to forgotten wars around the world.
28 Apr 2009 10:35:47 GMT
Did the civilians break out on their own? Don't they like their self-styled liberation tigers anymore? Was it the ICRC or the UN that rescued the civilians?
29 Apr 2009 17:19:17 GMT
So the Sri Lankan gov has resurected the tactic used by the Mongol horde to invade countries in an attempt to save it's own. Great news! I hope that the ability to choose your targets while denying your enemies the ability to escape will finally reduce the assualts by the LTTE and let the people of Sri Lanka live without this constant barage of evil. The tactic was especially effective under ancient Mongol rule when applied to reducing wildlife threats like wolves but it has a very nasty side effect when used on your own people. Namely that they may come to fear you. Fear is not a good thing because when people have enough fear they will attack and there is the start of another version of the LTTE. Let's just hope that the Gov troops are able to be good enough sharp shooters to reduce the loss of innocent life and end this quickly before atrocities can be committed (by either side).
Good luck Sri Lanka may god watch over you29 Apr 2009 17:20:40 GMT
So the Sri Lankan gov has resurected the tactic used by the Mongol horde to invade countries in an attempt to save it's own. Great news! I hope that the ability to choose your targets while denying your enemies the ability to escape will finally reduce the assualts by the LTTE and let the people of Sri Lanka live without this constant barage of evil. The tactic was especially effective under ancient Mongol rule when applied to reducing wildlife threats like wolves but it has a very nasty side effect when used on your own people. Namely that they may come to fear you. Fear is not a good thing because when people have enough fear they will attack and there is the start of another version of the LTTE. Let's just hope that the Gov troops are able to be good enough sharp shooters to reduce the loss of innocent life and end this quickly before atrocities can be committed (by either side).
Good luck Sri Lanka may god watch over you