HAPPY DAYS - Part I: Human Rights Watch's Amnesia

Part I - Human Rights Watch's Amnesia: An e-mail exchange with Human Rights Watch's John H. Biaggi - Acting Director Human Rights Watch International Film Festival

Dear John Biaggi,

I’m sure you’re very busy with the HRW Film Festival these days, but there is an urgent matter I’d kindly like you to consider.

I’ve just read in the Village Voice an article that reads:

The body count at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival rivals any in Hollywood's summer shoot-'em-ups: 400,000 killed in Laos; 250,000 slaughtered in Chechnya; 40,000 murdered in Chad; 3,000 Chileans disappeared under Pinochet; 1,000 Lebanese felled by Israeli bombs. Now add Iraq to the equation—some 90,000 violent civilian deaths and counting, according to IraqBodyCount.org—and you have a serious accounting of carnage, both past and present, reflected at this year's 19th annual event. [The Political Is Personal at the Human Rights Watch Fest. Putting a human face on global atrocity. by Anthony Kaufman June 3rd, 2008]

From the article I don’t understand if the figures about Iraq taken from Iraq Body Count has been adopted by HRW or it was just an insert from the Village Voice’s journalist.

As you surely know, the best estimates indicate the real figure is likely in excess of one million dead. I’m sending here below some resources I hope can be useful both to Human Rights Watch Film Festival and to the press.

Thank you and good luck with the festival.

Best wishes,
Gabriele Zamparini

Useful resources:

Iraq: the Human Cost

Updated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality Estimates

ORB Update on Iraqi Casualty Data

Answers to Questions About Iraq Mortality Surveys

Counting Iraqi Casualties -- and a Media Controversy

What is the real death toll in Iraq?

Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

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Hi Gabriele,

All the figures in this article are entirely the journalists, not HRW figures. Thanks for pointing this out.

Regards,
-John

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Hi John,

Thank you for your quick reply. I appreciate it, especially knowing how busy you must be in these days with the HRW film festival.

The Village Voice’s article is indeed misleading. I wrote to them but I didn’t get any reply.

If I can abuse of your time and kindness for just one more question, do you know if HRW has an official position on the death toll in the Iraq war? Or can you please tell me to whom I may ask this question within HRW? I really would appreciate your help a lot.

Thank you very much – and by the way, I’m truly a great admirer of your festival which I think is really the best, more intelligent film festival running today.

Best wishes,
Gabriele

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Hi Gabriele,

I’m asking around, will hopefully come back with a person here who can answer your question.

Thanks for the kind words about the festival!
-John

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Got a response. We do not do any numbers on this, as it would be just guessing – no one really knows how many have died.
-J

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Thanks John,

Sorry to bother you again with this, but I don’t understand. In 2006 a study was published in the British medical journal The Lancet. The Washington Post reported at the time:

Ronald Waldman, an epidemiologist at Columbia University who worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for many years, called the survey method "tried and true," and added that "this is the best estimate of mortality we have."

This viewed was echoed by Sarah Leah Whitson, an official of Human Rights Watch in New York, who said, "We have no reason to question the findings or the accuracy" of the survey.

"I expect that people will be surprised by these figures," she said. "I think it is very important that, rather than questioning them, people realize there is very, very little reliable data coming out of Iraq."

I sent you the the following important links in a previous e-mail:

Iraq: the Human Cost

Updated Iraq Survey Affirms Earlier Mortality Estimates

ORB Update on Iraqi Casualty Data

Answers to Questions About Iraq Mortality Surveys

Counting Iraqi Casualties -- and a Media Controversy

What is the real death toll in Iraq?

Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust'

Frankly, I’m really surprised by your reply. Is that the official position of HRW? This is quite a delicate matter, so I’d like to be sure I understand correctly.

Thank you again for your time and kindness.

Best wishes,
Gabriele

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The correspondence ends here since I haven't got any further reply from Human Rights Watch. But please stay tuned! More on Human Rights Watch and the Brave New Empire in HAPPY DAYS - Part II