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2025-06-26

Unearthing the truth in Chemmani: UN High Commissioner calls for investigation by Independent forensic experts to ensure accountability

A delegation led by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk visited the Chemmani mass grave site and the adjacent vigil in Jaffna yesterday. At the site, he was received by Senior Counsel K.S. Ratnavale and Attorneys Ranitha Gnanarajah and V.S. Niranjan, who represent the victim families and provided a detailed account of the site’s background, the ongoing excavation, court proceedings, and the challenges confronting the investigation.

After visiting the site and meeting with families, UN High Commissioner Volker Turk, speaking to the media, called for a thorough and independent investigation led by qualified forensic experts capable of uncovering the truth and delivering long-overdue closure to the families of the disappeared. He emphasized that this process is a vital step toward accountability, justice, and healing from the deep and ongoing pain caused by these unresolved tragedies.

At a press conference following the UN High Commissioner’s visit, Senior Counsel K.S. Ratnavale clarified that it was the lawyers representing the aggrieved parties—not the government—who filed the court application that enabled Volker Turk's legal access to the Chemmani mass grave site. He criticized the government’s public claim that the High Commissioner was free to visit any location, pointing out that the site was under court jurisdiction and no prior official clearance had been arranged. Mr. Ratnavale described the government’s statements as misleading and lacking genuine commitment to transparency or accountability.

Further, Mr. Ratnavale outlined three core concerns regarding the Chemmani investigation that were conveyed to the High Commissioner: First, uninterrupted and adequate government funding must be guaranteed to ensure the excavation continues to its conclusion, as any delay or withdrawal of financial support risks compromising the process and denying families the truth they have long sought. Second, a fully equipped forensic laboratory in Jaffna is essential to conduct examinations locally; the current practice of transporting skeletal remains to Colombo or Karapitiya introduces risks of tampering and disruption in the chain of custody, making a modern, regionally based facility critical for forensic integrity. Third, international monitoring of the excavation is necessary to uphold transparency, credibility, and compliance with global best practices; given the history of stalled or compromised domestic investigations, independent oversight is essential to ensure that evidence is protected and public trust is upheld.

The Chemmani site—unearthed in February during crematorium construction near the Sindhubath cremation grounds—lies adjacent to the original Chemmani mass graves from the late 1990s, long linked to enforced disappearances during Sri Lanka’s civil war. In May, an application filed by the lawyers on behalf of the aggrieved parties in the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court resulted in court orders authorizing a supervised excavation at the suspected mass grave site in Chemmani. The excavation is being led by archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva, with Judicial Medical Officer Dr. S. Piranavan overseeing the forensic procedures. The court also mandated police protection for the site and required regular progress reports. On June 2, proceedings in court affirmed that the number of remains uncovered met the legal criteria for a mass grave, prompting expectations for further legal action. As of June 25, a total of 19 bodies have been exhumed from five of the 18 identified excavation grids. Magistrate A.A. Ananadarajah has granted a 45-day extension to allow for the completion of the forensic analysis.