Chemmani Mass Grave Excavation: Current Suspension and Status

By: Wimal Navaratnam, July 10, 2025.

Reasons for Suspension of Excavation Work

Funding Constraints: Early excavation efforts were stalled due to lack of funding support. In April 2025, the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court was informed that the Sri Lankan government had not provided necessary funds for the Chemmani excavation, causing a delay in continuing the dig. Observers noted that successive governments have often used financial and bureaucratic obstacles to hinder investigations into mass graves. Even after work eventually began, budget shortfalls persisted. Although an estimated Rs. 12 million was needed, only a fraction was initially allocated to the project, forcing a phased approach.
Inclement Weather: The excavation faced interruptions from heavy rainfall. Soon after the formal digging commenced in mid-May, monsoon rains waterlogged the site and temporarily halted work on May 17. As a result, investigators had to pause and relocate to drier sections of the cemetery before resuming. This early weather-induced suspension disrupted the first phase after just two days of digging.
Planned Phase Breaks: The current suspension is part of a planned pause in the second phase of excavations. Excavation authorities instituted a phased schedule due to funding and logistical limits: when the second phase began in late June, officials announced they would dig for 15 continuous days and then take a short break. This plan was tied to the timing of fund disbursements – local officials reported that new funds would only be available after a certain date, necessitating a mid-phase stoppage. Accordingly, after 15 days of work in the second phase, the dig has been temporarily suspended to regroup and await the next tranche of resources. Barring unforeseen issues, this is a deliberate pause rather than an abrupt cancellation.
Resource and Expertise Limitations: There are broader concerns that insufficient forensic resources and expertise could slow the process. The excavation is being carried out under court supervision with local archaeologists and Judicial Medical Officers, but experts warn that Sri Lanka lacks some technical capacity for mass grave investigations. Families of the disappeared have urged bringing in international forensic specialists to assist. While not a direct cause of the official suspension, these limitations underscore the cautious, phased pace of excavation and fear that progress might stall if complexities arise. Past mass grave investigations in Sri Lanka were never fully completed, reinforcing worries that without adequate support the Chemmani inquiry could again be abandoned.

Timeline for Resumption of Excavations

Discovery and Court Order (Feb–Apr 2025): In early February 2025, construction workers uncovered human bones while digging at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi Hindu cemetery near Jaffna. The discovery – on land adjacent to a known 1990s mass grave site – prompted a police complaint and immediate court attention. The Jaffna Magistrate visited the site on February 20 and ordered a formal excavation under expert supervision. However, by April it became clear that funds were not forthcoming from Colombo, and on April 12 the court learned that the government had not released money to proceed. The Magistrate postponed further action until April 21 as officials scrambled to secure financing.
Excavation Phase One (May–early June 2025): With funding eventually arranged through the court and local authorities, the first phase of excavation began on May 15, 2025. Within two days, investigators uncovered multiple human remains – including a complete skeleton and skull in different spots – confirming the site as a probable mass grave. Heavy rains then hit Jaffna, forcing a suspension on May 17 due to flooding at the dig site. After a brief delay, work resumed on June 2 once the ground dried. Over the next several days, the team systematically exhumed skeletons from a shallow 11-foot-long trench. Phase one concluded on June 7 with at least 19 human skeletons recovered from the earth. All 19 sets of remains were placed under magisterial custody via the Judicial Medical Officer for safekeeping and analysis. In light of these findings, on June 8 the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court formally declared the Chemmani-Siththupaththi site a mass grave and authorized extending the excavation.
Interim and Preparations (mid-June 2025): Following the first phase, officials drew up plans and budgets for an expanded investigation. A report outlining the required financial provisions to continue was submitted to court and forwarded to the Justice Ministry on June 8. The court granted approval for a 45-day second phase of excavation to unearth more remains. To avoid delays, the court directed that digging should restart by the end of June – before seasonal monsoons later in the year – once funds were secured. During this interim, the site was secured and studied further. Professor Raj Somadeva (the lead archaeologist) used drone and satellite imagery to identify at least one additional suspected burial pit within the cemetery grounds. Meanwhile, Amnesty International and local civil society urged the government to provide sufficient resources and ensure the next phase met international standards of transparency.
Second Phase Launch (Late June 2025): The second phase of excavations commenced on June 27, 2025, after the release of some funding and court go-ahead. Work started in a new section of the cemetery identified as a likely grave site. On the very first day of this phase, the team uncovered the remains of three additional individuals, including a small child’s skeleton. By this time the site had yielded over 20 sets of remains in total, reinforcing calls for rigorous investigation. Notably, officials outlined that this phase would be split: they had budget to dig continuously for 15 days, after which a short pause would be required until further funds became available. Excavation proceeded daily through the end of June and into early July without major interruptions, observed by the Jaffna Magistrate A.A. Anandarajah, archaeologist Prof. Somadeva, Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Pranavan Sellaiyah, and other experts. By July 4, after one week of resumed digging, roughly 40 skeletons had been documented in total.
Current Suspension (July 2025) and Scheduled Resumption: On July 10, 2025, the second phase excavation reached its planned breakpoint. That day marked the 15th consecutive digging day of phase two, at which point a temporary suspension was instituted in line with the work plan. The pause allows investigators to take stock and for additional funding or resources to be marshaled for the remaining excavation work. As of the suspension, an astonishing 65 human skeletal remains had been unearthed in this phase alone (bringing the cumulative total to 65 from all phases, as earlier remains are included in that count). The halt is not permanent – excavations are scheduled to resume on July 21, 2025 after this 11-day interval. At that time, the forensic excavation team is expected to continue where they left off and further expand the search area. The court’s 45-day excavation window extends into August, suggesting that after the July 21 restart, digging could proceed for several more weeks (with possible additional breaks) to complete a thorough sweep of the identified burial zones. Stakeholders hope that the operation can fully uncover all remains in the marked sites before concluding. For now, the site remains under guard and preserved during the suspension, and officials have expressed intent to restart work on July 21 as planned barring any new obstacles.

Status of the Discovered Skeletons and Evidence

Number of Remains Recovered: The Chemmani mass grave excavation has yielded a large number of human remains. As of the latest dig on July 10, 2025, 65 human skeletal remains have been unearthed from two clusters within the cemetery. (This count likely corresponds to at least 65 individual victims, although a few remains were found commingled.) Earlier, after the first phase in June, 19 skeletons had been found; the subsequent second phase greatly increased the total. Excavators noted that skeletons were often discovered in groups – one pit (Forensic Excavation Site No. 01) contained 63 of the bodies, while a smaller second pit held 2 bodies, with additional disarticulated bones scattered around. This suggests multiple burial sites or trenches within the cemetery, some containing the remains of numerous people together.
Identity and Demographics: The remains include men, women, and children. Forensic experts on site have already identified at least three infants or babies among the dead. Several very small skeletons (described as “neonatal,” belonging to infants estimated under 10 months old) were uncovered, confirming that children were among the victims. In total, observers estimate that a handful of the skeletons are of minors – one report noted three suspected children’s remains out of the first 42 found, and additional child-sized skeletons were unearthed in early July. The majority of the remains appear to be adult-sized. Precise identities (names of victims) are not yet established; the remains are decades old and likely correspond to people who disappeared in the 1990s civil conflict. Ongoing forensic examination will seek clues (such as healed injuries, dental records, DNA) to possibly match some skeletons to known missing-person cases. Notably, in the 1999 Chemmani exhumations two skeletons were successfully identified as specific individuals who vanished in 1996, raising hopes that with modern techniques more IDs could be made this time. In fact, families of people who went missing in the Jaffna area during 1996–97 are already coming forward; several have filed motions to reopen old disappearance cases in light of the Chemmani findings.
Condition of the Burials: Investigators describe the Chemmani graves as shallow and irregular. The bodies were found buried only about 1–2 feet below the surface in many areas – extremely shallow compared to a typical six-foot-deep burial. This indicates hasty mass burials. In one section, five skulls and other bones were clustered together in a single pit, with no clothing on those remains. Many skeletons were interred without any personal belongings on them (no shoes, jewelry or intact clothes on the bones), suggesting the victims may have been buried stripped or in minimal attire. However, at least in one trench some personal items HAVE been found alongside the skeletons, likely belonging to the dead. These include fragments of clothing, a pair of slippers, glass bangles, and a child’s blue bag with English lettering. The blue cloth schoolbag, uncovered near a small child’s skeleton, was identified as a type of school bag distributed as humanitarian aid by NGOs during the war. Inside one such recovered bag, excavators even found a small doll or toy, heartbreaking evidence that a child was among the victims. These grave goods and artifacts are being collected carefully as evidence.
Forensic Custody and Analysis: All exhumed skeletal remains are now in the custody of forensic authorities for examination. The Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) in Jaffna has taken charge of the 60+ recovered skeletons, under the oversight of the Magistrate’s Court. The bones have been moved to the Forensic Anthropology Unit at the University of Jaffna for detailed analysis and storage. Forensic teams will undertake tasks such as cleaning the bones, cataloguing each skeleton, and attempting to determine each victim’s approximate age, sex, and any signs of trauma or cause of death. Preliminary observations in 1999 noted signs of torture and execution on some Chemmani remains, and experts will look for similar trauma (bullet holes, fractures, bindings) on these newly found skeletons. Additionally, archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva has said he will analyze accompanying artefacts – for example, cellophane wrappers with printed dates, clothing styles, or other date-stamped materials – to help estimate when these people were buried. If needed, scientific methods like radiocarbon dating can be employed as an alternative to date the bones. Any personal effects (bags, clothing scraps, jewelry, toys) recovered in the graves have been labeled and kept under judicial custody as well, since they could help identify victims or serve as crime evidence. It is reported that already some relatives have recognized items: for example, in the 1999 dig a woman identified a nose-stud and clothing belonging to her missing daughter. Similar efforts may be made once the current forensic report is complete – authorities could display recovered items to families of the disappeared to see if any are familiar.
Ongoing and Future Investigations: The excavation is far from over – only a portion of the suspected grave area has been excavated so far. By early July, Prof. Somadeva estimated that less than 40% of the known burial site had been opened and examined. Large sections of the cemetery identified via ground-penetrating radar, drones, or witness testimony remain untouched as of now. During the July pause, investigators cleared vegetation from additional areas flagged by satellite imagery in preparation for further digging. Thus, it is expected that many more remains could still lie beneath the soil, awaiting discovery when work resumes. The already recovered bones will continue to be analyzed in parallel with the field excavations. Thereafter comes the legal process: once forensic analyses are complete, the Jaffna Magistrate will hold inquests or hearings on the findings. The goal is to determine the approximate time period and circumstances of these deaths (for instance, linking them to the mid-1990s civil war), and potentially to identify victims so that their families know their fate. Ultimately, depending on findings, the case could be escalated – for example, if evidence indicates these individuals were execution victims, it could prompt criminal investigations or be used in truth and reconciliation efforts. For now, the skeletons rest in a forensic storeroom as silent witnesses, while Tamil families watch closely hoping the bones will finally answer decades-old questions about their missing loved ones.

Government Response and Actions So Far

Initial Inaction and Delays: The Sri Lankan government’s response to the Chemmani mass grave excavation has been marked by hesitation and inertia. In the early stages, the central authorities did not proactively support the investigation – notably, they failed to promptly release funds to finance the court-ordered excavation. In April 2025, officials admitted to the Magistrate’s Court that no government funds were available for Chemmani, stalling the dig until the court intervened. Tamil civil society groups accused the government of deliberately stalling; they pointed out this fits a pattern where financial/bureaucratic hurdles are used to avoid uncovering uncomfortable truths. Only after legal pressure and public scrutiny did the Ministry of Justice begin processing a budget for the excavation in June. A report on required funds was forwarded to the ministry on June 8, and the court had to urge the Government to provide “adequate financial provisions” to resume work. This reluctant approach raised fears that, as with previous mass graves, the inquiry might be quietly dropped without full government backing.
Facilitation via Local Authorities: On the ground, the excavation has been carried out under judicial oversight with participation of state officials. The Jaffna Magistrate, local police, and government forensic experts (archaeologists and JMOs) are actively involved in the process. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP), a government-established body, has also been present – an OMP Commissioner stated that the office is “actively facilitating the excavation process and monitoring developments” to avoid delays. The OMP’s involvement suggests some level of official recognition of the excavation’s importance. However, families of the disappeared and observers remain skeptical of domestic institutions. The OMP itself has been criticized as underpowered and “untrusted” in addressing past disappearances. While local State actors (court, police, university experts) are doing the day-to-day work, there’s little evidence of high-level political initiative beyond this mandated compliance with the court’s orders.
Public Silence and Missed Acknowledgment: A striking aspect of the government’s response is the silence of top officials and state media about the Chemmani findings. Despite the mass grave’s importance, there have been no significant public addresses by the President or Prime Minister specifically commenting on Chemmani or outlining a plan for justice. Southern Sri Lankan politicians and mainstream media have remained eerily quiet, deepening Tamil survivors’ sense of marginalization. The new government led by the National People’s Power (NPP) – which came to power promising accountability and a truth commission – has not yet issued any substantive statements on the Chemmani grave. This lack of official acknowledgment is viewed as a betrayal of the government’s reformist promises, effectively ignoring an opportunity to confront the past. In Parliament or press briefings, Chemmani has rarely been raised by government members, indicating a continued political reticence to address wartime atrocities. The only public remarks have come from a few Tamil MPs and activists, and from international voices, rather than from the central government.
Calls for Protection and Transparency: Tamil political representatives have pressed the government to do more. Opposition MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam (Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi) has repeatedly raised alarms about conditions at the Chemmani site and the authorities’ tepid response. He accused the Government of failing to provide proper shelters to protect the open graves from rain, unlike measures taken at a similar mass grave site in Kokkuthoduvai. Indeed, at Chemmani only a basic tent cover was placed, leaving remains exposed to weather that could deteriorate evidence. Shanakiyan also highlighted the lack of adequate security – the site has been guarded mainly by local police and a few volunteers, without CCTV surveillance or robust fencing. This raises fears of tampering; he even alleged there might have been attempts to remove skeletons illicitly, given one incident of a journalist finding a bag of bones moved aside. Furthermore, Tamil lawmakers and lawyers have protested the Government’s restrictions on media and public access. Journalists are currently allowed only a brief 5-minute supervised visit each day at 4:30pm to view the dig. The OMP had indicated media could have two slots daily, but that policy was not implemented on site. In contrast, at the Kokkuthoduvai gravesite, media were given three separate viewing times a day and better facilities. The limited access at Chemmani has led to suspicions of unnecessary secrecy. In response to these concerns, activists are urging the Government to increase transparency – for example, by installing CCTV cameras around the excavation and live-monitoring the process. So far, the Government has not acted on these requests, and the enhanced protections remain absent as the dig proceeds.
International Oversight and Pressure: The muted stance of the Sri Lankan government has invited growing international scrutiny. During a late June 2025 visit to Jaffna, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk toured the Chemmani site and met with families of the disappeared. He called the mass grave “a compelling reminder” of unresolved past crimes and urged robust investigations by independent experts with forensic expertise. This essentially is a call for the government to allow or invite international forensic specialists to assist, to ensure credibility – a step Sri Lankan authorities have not yet taken. Amnesty International also issued statements as the second phase began, labeling Chemmani’s excavation an important step toward truth “provided the process is carried out in line with international standards”. Amnesty urged the Government to allocate sufficient resources and maintain transparency. These international voices echo the demands of local Tamil civil society, which has long mistrusted domestic probes. Tamil families and rights groups have formally asked for international observers and forensic experts to be involved, citing Sri Lanka’s repeated failure to deliver justice in past cases. So far, the Government has not publicly responded to these calls. There is no indication that foreign experts have been integrated into the Chemmani investigation – the work remains a wholly Sri Lankan affair under the magistrate. However, the presence of the UN High Commissioner and the global attention have put pressure on Colombo. Any attempt to prematurely curtail the excavation or to keep results hidden could provoke international criticism. The Government, at least, allowed the UN official’s visit and has not obstructed these outside appeals, but it remains to be seen if they will act on them.
Next Steps and Official Stance: In summary, the government’s response has been guarded and minimal. It has essentially deferred to the court-led process: providing just enough funds after delays, sending some officials (OMP, archaeologists) to observe, but not actively championing the effort. No comprehensive plan for accountability has been announced by the central government yet. The silence is notable given that the ruling party had campaigned on addressing past human rights issues. As the excavation moves forward, activists are watching how the Government will handle the findings. Will it facilitate forensic testing (like DNA identification) and prosecute any perpetrators identified, or will it allow the investigation’s results to languish? The true test will come after the digging is done and the evidence is analyzed. So far, the Government has offered little beyond procedural acquiescence, prompting victims’ families to continue to demand a more decisive response. The contrast is sharp – Chemmani’s soil is speaking volumes about a dark chapter of the war, but the state’s official voice remains muted. The coming weeks, as excavations resume and eventually conclude, will reveal whether Sri Lanka’s authorities are prepared to hear these truths and pursue justice, or whether Chemmani will join the list of mass graves that yielded forensic facts but no accountability. The survivors and international community are urging a proactive stance, but as one commentator put it, “the silence now belongs to the government”. Only concrete action from here on – in funding, in facilitating independent examination, in transparency, and ultimately in legal follow-up – can demonstrate a genuine commitment to dealing with the Chemmani revelations. The world and the Tamil community await the Government’s next move.