house near the farm, warning the residents not to speak about the massacre or report it to anyone. Reaction The government denied the massacre at the farm but the Managing Director of Serendib Seafoods Limited, Victor Santhiapillai, who was a former Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (a United Nations body), together with a consultant to the company, Bruce Cyr (an American national) rebutted the government's denial and confirmed that the massacre did in fact take place. They also contradicted the government's claim that those killed were either terrorists or that they died in the crossfire. Rejecting the government Media Centre's claim Santhiapillai said, "I totally reject the Media Centre's charge that the 22 Serendib Seafoods staff members (plus 12 still missing) who were shot by the STF were terrorists. The Centre must find some other more intelligent and plausible ways of handling such incidents." AAPL, as a Hong Kong company, was covered by the Sri Lanka-United Kingdom Bilateral Investment Treaty and filed for arbitration by ICSID, an arm of the World Bank, with the aim of providing compensation to the families of the murdered employees as well as reimbursement to its investors. Three arbitrators—from Egypt, France and Ghana—were selected. AAPL was represented by the retired General Counsel of the World Bank, Dr. Heribert Golsong from Germany, and prevailed in the arbitration by a 2 to 1 vote. AAPL was awarded substantial compensation but the government of Sri Lanka did not make payment until one of AAPL's British shareholders, Richard Lund, urged the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to use its influence to induce compensation due, which was then made promptly. References External links Race for infamy in Northeast Sri Lanka 1987 crimes in Sri Lanka Massacres in 1987 Attacks on civilians attributed to the Sri Lanka Police Massacres in Sri Lanka Mass murder of Sri Lankan Tamils Sri Lankan government forces attacks in Eelam War I Terrorist incidents in Sri Lanka in 1987