Civilians not targeted by military says Sri Lanka report

Civilians caught up in Sri Lanka's civil war were not deliberately targeted by the country's military - according to a commission set up by the country's president.

The report concluded that the military did its best to protect civilians in the final stages of the conflict against the Tamil Tiger rebels. But the commission has accused the Tamil Tigers of using people as human shields.

The report has called for investigations into specific allegations of army shelling of civilians and disappearances of rebels who had surrendered.

The UN has called for an independent international investigation but that has been rejected by the government.

Charles Haviland reports from Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo.