Malaysian activists slam British massacre ruling

Malaysian activists have criticised Britain's refusal to hold an inquiry into the massacre of 24 unarmed villagers by British troops in 1948, after a long campaign for an official probe.

A British foreign office spokesman confirms government lawyers issued a provisional decision to reject an investigation.

A representative of the surviving villagers and their families, Quek Ngee Meng, says this prolongs their suffering.

He says while Britain says it's hard to find out what happened because the event is so old, there shouldn't be a deadline for justice.

The atrocity occured at the start of a 12-year communist insurgency in former Malaya.

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The 'Batang Kali massacre' occurred in a village in central Selangor state on December 12, 1948, when 14 members of the Scots Guards killed 24 unarmed ethnic Chinese and torched their village.