News and events

Newly discovered Chemmani mass grave: CHRD and victim families push for truth, justice, and international oversight

2025-06-09

The discovery of a suspected mass grave near the Sindhubath cremation grounds in Chemmani, Jaffna, has reignited longstanding calls for truth and justice in Sri Lanka. The site, uncovered in February 2025 during construction of a crematorium, lies within proximity of the original Chemmani mass gravesassociated with enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings during the civil war. The current findings are intensifying demands from victims families, civil society, and international human rights advocates for transparency and accountability.

Following a petition by the families of the disappeared, Jaffna Magistrate A.A. Anandarajah issued critical court orders to initiate a judicially supervised excavation of the site. The court mandated the official start of excavation on May 15, appointed veteran archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva to lead the investigation, instructed the Judicial Medical Officer JMO, Dr. S. Piranavan, to submit regular updates, and ordered police protection to safeguard the site from tampering or interference.

By the first week of June, the excavation team had recovered the remains of at least 19 individuals, including a child estimated to be under one year old, along with several other bone fragments. These findings were made from just five of the 18 demarcated grids. The increase from initial reports has shocked families and raised urgent questions about the scale of the atrocity and the identity of the victims. Attorney V.S. Niranjan, representing the families on behalf of the Centre for Human Rights and Development CHRD, addressed the court on June 2, stating, More than three individuals have been identified. The legal threshold for declaring a mass grave has been met. This has serious implications and must lead to further legal action. His statement underscored the need to treat the site not as a remnant of the past but as a potential crime scene requiring full legal scrutiny and independent investigation.

CHRD has taken the lead in supporting the families of the disappeared through legal representation, field monitoring, and evidencebased advocacy. Attorneys C. Ranitha Gnanarajah and Niranjan, representing CHRD, are actively engaged in both litigation and advocacy efforts. Our clients have waited decades. Many believe this site may contain the remains of loved ones abducted and disappeared in state custody, said Ranitha Gnanarajah. We are working to ensure a process that is secure, transparent, and centred on the dignity of victims.

In court proceedings on June 2, Magistrate Anandarajah acknowledged the gravity of the discovery and granted a 45day extension for the excavation team to continue their work, citing both the volume of remains and the need for methodical documentation. Dr. Piriniwan submitted a report outlining plans for DNA testing and the preservation of remains for possible criminal proceedings. Prof. Somadeva noted that additional suspected burial sites were identified using drone and satellite imagery, warranting expanded excavation in the coming weeks. We are proceeding with utmost care. This is a forensic and archaeological responsibility, but also a deeply human one, he told the court.

Public reaction in Jaffna has been emotionally charged. On June 5, relatives of the disappeared, student groups, and civil society organizations staged a protest demanding international oversight of the excavation and unrestricted media access. Many expressed concerns that the absence of global scrutiny could allow for tampering, coverups, or future denial. The families have no faith in a process led solely by domestic institutions, said a protest organizer. "International observers must monitor this, and evidence must be preserved independently."

Despite the unfolding evidence, the Sri Lankan government has yet to comment publicly on the mass grave. This silence has deepened mistrust among victim communities, especially victim families whose cases of disappearance remain unresolved decades after the war. The Chemmani findings have become a critical juncture, symbolizing the broader failure of state institutions to deal with the past.

The silence of the state cannot be the end of this story. What happens here will define whether this country is ready to confront its past or once again attempt to bury it.