From a 17,000 reported dead in January 1992, just two months later it became 200,000 by dropping the "and missing" from the 200,000 dead or missing. Further, UN officials on the ground say the level of killing was no where near justifying that increase.
Back in the early days of the Yugoslav wars, I was keeping count. American news reports began with 17,000 killed in Bosnia in early January 1993 after 9 months of civil war, then 20,000 at the end of the month. In early February 1993, the number was 145,000 "dead or missing" which by the end of the month became 200,000 "dead or missing. " And then in early March 1993, the words "or missing" were dropped and the number was established at 200,000 killed which has been repeated like a mantra ever since. General Satish Nambiar of India, who was the commander of the U.N. Protection Forces (UNPROFOR) during the period of March 1992 to March 1993, told me that he, his deputy General Lewis McKenzie, and his forces, did not witness any such level of killing. Former U.S. State Department official and head of the Yugoslav desk, George Kenney, assessed the total dead in Bosnia as somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000.http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/2001/Jul01/Thomas.htm