The watchdog, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has called on the government in Colombo, to re-investigate the mob killing of the former rebels, including child soldiers, at a state run rehabilitation camp in Bindunuwewa.

In a statement on Thursday, HRW said that the acquittal of all the defendants charged of killing 27 Tamil detainees in the Bindunuwewa camp in October 2000 "demonstrates the failure of the Sri Lankan justice system to address crimes against alleged Tamil Tiger members".

On the night of October 25, 2000, an angry mob stormed the detention facility.

In spite of the presence of armed police, the mob killed 27 of the inmates, hacking and clubbing them to death.

'Victims all Tamil'

Sub Inspector of Police (SI) S Jayampathi Karunasena and residents of the area DM Sepala Dissanayake, MA Samee and RM Premananda were acquitted and released on the 27th of May.

Suspended police officer Jayampathi Karunasena was in charge of Bandarawela police crime branch at the time of the attack.

The supreme court found a lack of evidence in the case in its ruling last week.

Brad Adams, Asia Director of Human Rights Watch said, "As the victims were all Tamil, the government needs to move quickly to start fresh investigations and to prosecute the perpetrators, some of whom were police officers, or it will only further distance aggrieved Tamils."

Lack of evidence

Five accused were sentenced to death in July 2003 by a Trail-at-Bar in Colombo High Court for killing nearly 30 Tamil youths in the rehabilitation camp in Bindunuwewa, Bandarawela.

Sub-Inspector of Police Tyronne Roger Ratnayake has earlier been released by the Supreme Court on the grounds of lack of sufficient evidence.

The attack was internationally condemned. Saying he was "profoundly distressed" United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan called on Sri Lanka earlier to conduct an impartial inquiry into the massacre.