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2024-08-09

Kokkuthoduvai mass grave - Identification of exhumed remains commence

Following the 3rd stage of the excavation process in July, the identification of the exhumed remains was discussed when the case was heard on August 8th before the Magistrate Dharmalingam Piratheepan at the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court.

Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Kanagasabapathy Vasudeva said the process was to find out the sex, age, height, and details of injury among others in the investigation.

Twenty-five types of skeletal remains from the excavation have been transferred to the Forensic Medicine Department at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. Analysis of these remains was conducted over two days, starting on August 2, 2024. Mullaitivu JMO Vasudeva said the comprehensive report is expected by early next year.

In a report submitted to the court earlier, Prof. Raj Somadeva, the lead forensic archaeologist had concluded that the skeletons exhumed from the mass grave are of the female cadres of the LTTE who have been unceremoniously buried between 1994-96. His interim report on the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave to the court was submitted in February 2024.

Details about the report on the background of the land and observations were handed over to the court by the local government official, Grama Niladhari of that area said V.S. Niranchan, counsel retained by CHRD to represent the interest of victim families and observe the exhumation.

He added “As directed by the court, a report was submitted by the Grama Niladhari of Kokkuthoduvai today. At the same time, the final report by Professor Raj Somadeva, who was involved in the excavation, is expected within a month. JMO Vasudeva has informed the court that investigations into the skeletal remains are happening at the forensic department in the Jaffna Teaching Hospital. The Office for the Missing Persons (OMP) told the court their position about handing over the land to the public would be made during the next hearing of the case”.

Earlier the Association for the Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances (ARED) submitted sworn affidavits to court to find out whether the exhumed skeletons from the mass grave belonged to their relatives.

“The Magistrate informed that many sworn affidavits have been filed to find out the disappeared at this point of time. So, in future if there is a need to do a DNA test, we have made arrangements for the collection of due samples from every skeleton exhumed during the third phase”. During the hearing V.S.Niranchan, attorney-at-law appearing on behalf of the families of the disappeared requested that the number tags recovered during the mass grave excavation be made public and published in newspapers. The court has ordered that this request be reviewed and appropriate action taken.