Sri Lankan authorities are accused of using rape as a weapon against Tamil separatists, according to a new report from Human Rights Watch.  The group says the scores of victims it has interviewed is only the tip of the iceberg.

The report titled “We Will Teach You A Lesson” is being presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) has detailed statements from 75 Tamil victims of torture including 31 who say they were raped by Sri Lanka’s soldiers, police and other pro-government forces.

HRW describes the typical pattern of authorities targeting and kidnapping a young Tamil man or woman and torturing them until they sign a false confession of being involved with the Tamil Tigers militant separatist group.

Sri Lankan officials accuse all victims of making up the accusations for pro-Tamil propaganda.