"Hidden Massacre"

An investigation by The Times revealed that in the final phases of the Sri Lankan civil war, more than 20,000 Tamil civilians were killed. This number is three times the government's official figure and most of these deaths were the result of government shelling. The Times was able to establish this through aerial photographs, official documents, witness accounts and expert testimony.

The Sri Lankan authorities have insisted that their forces stopped using heavy weapons on April 27 and observed the no-fire zone where 100,000 Tamil men, women and children were sheltering. They have blamed all civilian casualties on Tamil Tiger rebels concealed among the civilians.

This makes the UN Human Rights Council unwillingness to investigate the Sri Lankan government even more outrageous.