Updates on Chemmani Mass Graves (August 1–5, 2025)

By Wimal Navaratnam, Human Rights Activist

Current Updates on Chemmani Mass Graves (August 1–5, 2025)

📘 Disclaimer

The contents presented in this publication—including imagery, field reports, and analysis—are based on publicly available information, eyewitness accounts, forensic observations, and archival records pertaining to the Chemmani mass graves as of August 2025. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and respectful representation of victims. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject, viewer discretion is advised. Some content may be disturbing or emotionally triggering.

This resource is intended solely for educational, journalistic, and human rights advocacy purposes. It does not constitute a legal verdict or forensic certification. Interpretations and conclusions drawn are subject to revision upon further investigation and verification. Readers are encouraged to cross-reference sources and consult official government or international documentation where applicable.

🖋️ Editor’s Note: A Call for Justice and International Action

“The soil of Chemmani has spoken. What remains now is how we choose to listen.”

The ongoing excavations at Chemmani have laid bare truths buried for decades. Each unearthed skeleton, every artifact of innocence—bags, bangles, baby bottles—speaks to the unhealed wounds of a people silenced by war and impunity. What we now witness is not simply an archaeological discovery, but a historical reckoning.

This editorial calls upon:

  • Sri Lankan Authorities: To pursue full accountability, regardless of rank or affiliation, through transparent judicial mechanisms.
  • International Justice Systems: To engage with urgency, providing forensic expertise and oversight under the frameworks of international criminal law—including the Minnesota Protocol and the Rome Statute.
  • The United Nations Human Rights Council: To prioritize Chemmani in its sessions and renew its commitment to monitoring Sri Lanka’s transitional justice pathway.
  • Diaspora and Global Citizens: To amplify voices from Jaffna, support victim families, and advocate for external investigations and reparations.

Let Chemmani be the catalyst for truth, accountability, and non-repetition—not just for Tamil victims, but for all communities scarred by violence. Silence and symbolism are no longer enough. The time for decisive action is now.

🔬 Research Methodology Overview

This publication draws from a multidisciplinary approach combining:

  • On-site Investigative Reports: Sourced from judicial excavation teams, including archaeologists and forensic experts from the University of Jaffna and University of Kelaniya.
  • Court and Legal Proceedings: Based on case records, testimonies, and public statements released by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court and the Sri Lankan Office on Missing Persons.
  • Forensic Analysis Protocols: Following international best practices for exhumation and human remains analysis, with reference to the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Unlawful Death.
  • Human Rights Documentation: Collated from advocacy groups, including ICJ statements, diaspora briefings, and civil society memoranda.
  • Media and Witness Interviews: Verified narratives from victim families, community observers, and public officials.

Research contributors adopted triangulation methods—cross-verifying data across sources to ensure integrity and reduce bias. Data collection respects the dignity of victims and is committed to transparency and truth recovery.

Chemmani Mass Graves – Early August 2025 Updates and Developments

The Chemmani mass graves in Jaffna, Sri Lanka have returned to the spotlight with significant developments between August 1 and 5, 2025. Ongoing excavations at this notorious site – linked to wartime enforced disappearances – have unearthed dozens of victims’ remains, prompting new forensic findings, legal and judicial actions, international responses, and advocacy efforts. Below is a comprehensive report on the progress, discoveries, and responses as of early August 2025, organized by key themes and events.

Background and Recent Discovery

Chemmani is a village on the outskirts of Jaffna that became infamous in the late 1990s after revelations of mass graves tied to Sri Lanka’s civil war. In 1998, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse – convicted in the rape and murder of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy – testified that 300–400 bodies of Tamil detainees were buried in Chemmani. An initial probe in 1999 uncovered 15 skeletons (including victims identified as missing since 1996) based on his information. However, that investigation stalled, and no senior officials were held accountable at the time.

The site remained a symbol of unresolved atrocities until a chance discovery in February 2025. Construction workers preparing a Hindu crematorium in Chemmani stumbled upon human bones, leading the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court to declare the site a mass grave and order a fresh excavation under judicial supervision. Excavations resumed in mid-2025, thrusting Sri Lanka’s troubled past back into the spotlight as skeletal remains began to emerge from Chemmani’s soil. Families of the disappeared, who have spent decades searching for missing loved ones, watched anxiously as investigators returned to this burial ground of Sri Lanka’s civil war.

Excavation Progress and Forensic Findings

Uncovering Victims:

As of the first week of August 2025, the Chemmani excavation has exhumed an unprecedented number of skeletons. By July 28, investigators had recovered at least 101 sets of human remains, including infants and children. Continued digging in the following days brought the count to 118 skeletal assemblages by early August. This makes Chemmani one of the largest mass graves ever found in Sri Lanka. Notably, many personal belongings have been found intermingled with the dead – school bags, toys, bangles, feeding bottles, and fragments of clothing were unearthed alongside the skeletons. These poignant artifacts intensify the gravity of the findings, indicating that numerous victims were likely civilians (including children and students) who met violent ends.

Harrowing Discoveries:

Among the most heartbreaking discoveries was a scene where an adult skeleton was found cradling a small child in its arms. This tragic tableau suggests the victims may have been killed together, deepening suspicions about the cruel circumstances of their deaths. Multiple infant and neonatal remains have been identified – forensic teams reported uncovering skeletons of babies younger than 10 months old. Such findings paint a harrowing picture of the atrocity, raising difficult questions about how these innocents were killed and why they were buried at Chemmani. The presence of a 3- to 5-year-old child’s skeleton with a UNICEF schoolbag was highlighted by observers as “undeniable evidence of a state-led campaign to erase a people” – in other words, potential proof of crimes against humanity targeting Tamil civilians.

Forensic Excavation Efforts:

A multidisciplinary team is carrying out the excavations methodically and under court supervision. The effort is led by Professor Raj Somadeva, a senior archaeologist from the University of Kelaniya, assisted by archaeology students from the University of Jaffna and Judicial Medical Officer experts. They work in carefully gridded sites within the Chemmani (Sindhubaththi) Hindu cemetery, which is now secured with restricted access. The process is painstaking – skeletal remains are delicately unearthed and documented in situ. Investigators pay close attention to details like the orientation and positioning of bodies and the grave’s boundaries, which may provide clues about how the pit was filled and whether the burials occurred in phases. All exhumed remains are being stored for analysis at the University of Jaffna’s archaeological unit under the oversight of Judicial Medical Officers. Forensic experts will examine the bones for trauma, attempt to estimate age and sex, and look for signs of how each victim died. Items found with the bodies (such as clothing or personal effects) are also carefully preserved as evidence that could help date the burials or identify individuals.

Phased Progress and GPR Scanning:

The court-approved excavation is proceeding in phases. An initial 10-day dig in May 2025 uncovered the first 19 bodies. A second phase of 45 working days was authorized for mid-2025 and was scheduled to conclude by August 4, 2025. By Day 35 of work (end of July), over 100 remains had been found. To ensure no grave site is left unexamined, authorities planned to deploy ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology to help detect any deeper or adjacent burial pits. Early in the process, there were delays in obtaining Ministry of Defence clearance for the GPR equipment, slowing the broader search. However, a collaboration between the University of Jaffna and University of Sri Jayewardenepura resolved the issue, and GPR scanning began on Monday, August 4 to probe for further graves around the known sites. This technical step is critical to map the full extent of the mass grave beyond the already excavated sections.

Analysis and Identification Challenges:

Once excavation wraps up, the investigation will move to laboratory analysis. Forensic pathologists will attempt to determine causes of death (for example, evidence of bullet wounds, fractures, or binding) and ideally identify the individuals or at least their profiles (approximate age, sex, etc.). However, Sri Lankan officials acknowledge significant challenges ahead in identifying victims from decades-old skeletal remains. The country lacks a dedicated DNA database and specialized labs for testing highly degraded remains. This means matching bones to families of the disappeared will be difficult without international assistance. Mirak Raheem, a commissioner of Sri Lanka’s Office on Missing Persons (OMP), warned that time is critical – many parents of the missing are elderly and may die before providing DNA samples or information about their loved ones. Despite these hurdles, investigators are collecting ante-mortem data from families (personal details, last seen information) and any clues from the grave (such as clothing or personal items) to aid future identification efforts. According to experts, every effort must follow best practices – treating the site as a crime scene, ensuring careful evidence collection, and preserving the chain of custody – so that the findings can support truth and justice in the long run.

Judicial Oversight and Legal Actions

Court-Supervised Investigation:

The Chemmani mass grave investigation is under the direct oversight of Sri Lanka’s judiciary. The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court formally declared the Chemmani cemetery a crime scene and has been supervising the exhumation process from the start. Under Sri Lankan law, excavations of mass graves are typically handled as part of a magistrate’s inquest into unidentified deaths, ensuring legal transparency. Judicial Medical Officers and forensic archaeologists are working under judicial order, and progress reports are periodically furnished to the court. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the national police has taken charge of the on-site investigation, collecting evidence for any potential future prosecutions. However, this involvement of the CID has raised concerns among civil society groups about possible political interference or lack of transparency. Memories linger of past domestic probes that went nowhere; hence, many observers insist on rigorous independent oversight this time.

Integration of Past and Present Cases:

One legal debate is how to handle the earlier Chemmani case from 1999 in light of the new excavation. Tamil political leaders argue that the remains found in 1999 and those unearthed now are part of a single atrocity and should be treated together. In a letter to the President, the Tamil party ITAK urged authorities to consolidate the legal cases – merging the old Chemmani case (which was under Colombo courts after the 1999 finds) with the new Jaffna Magistrate case – into one comprehensive judicial inquiry. They note that the 15 bodies exhumed in 1999 were even sent overseas (to the University of Glasgow in Scotland) for analysis, but never identified or returned to families. ITAK demands those remains be repatriated and re-examined under the same protocols as the current excavation, so that all evidence can be considered together toward accountability. Unifying these investigations is seen as essential for building a robust criminal case that links the 1990s disappearances with the mass grave evidence being uncovered in 2025.

Government and Judicial Officials’ Stance:

The Sri Lankan government under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has publicly vowed to support the Chemmani investigation. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara stated that the new administration has “the complete political will” to address atrocities like Chemmani, noting that even members of the ruling party (the leftist NPP/JVP alliance) themselves suffered enforced disappearances in past decades. He emphasized that the government bears a “big responsibility” to fulfill the aspirations of the Tamil people and end the legacy of divided politics. In practical terms, officials report that “money is not an issue” – about LKR 11.7 million (≈USD 35,000) had been allocated by late June specifically for the Chemmani excavation. The Office on Missing Persons is involved as an observer in the case, helping with administrative support (such as facilitating funds, coordinating media access, and liaising with families). The OMP’s mandate under a 2016 law is to assist and monitor such cases, though it lacks prosecutorial power. OMP Commissioner Mirak Raheem has pointed out that investigating mass graves is extremely complex and requires multidisciplinary expertise (forensic anthropology, archaeology, genetics, etc.), implying that Sri Lanka will need all the help it can get to do this properly.

Despite these assurances, Tamil representatives remain watchful. They warn that without concrete legal action, the Chemmani dig will be merely symbolic. “Symbolic gestures of reconciliation ring hollow without real legal action,” ITAK wrote, stressing that evidence of war crimes must lead to prosecution of perpetrators for true national healing. There is mounting pressure on Sri Lankan authorities to not only count bones but also pursue those responsible for the killings. Whether the Chemmani findings will prompt criminal indictments of any military or officials remains to be seen. The new government insists it will not “protect any criminal whether in the south or north”, indicating even military personnel could face justice if culpable. However, past experience has left victims’ families skeptical; they have seen cases where low-level soldiers were punished while architects of crimes escaped sanction.

Convicted Soldier’s Offer to Testify:

In a startling twist, the very soldier whose confession brought Chemmani to light decades ago has resurfaced in the narrative. Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse, serving a life sentence (previously a death sentence commuted) since 1998, has reached out to the authorities calling for a full accounting of Chemmani. On August 4, 2025, Rajapakse sent a letter to President Dissanayake offering to testify in any future international investigation into the Chemmani mass graves. Through a statement conveyed by his wife, he claims that his role in the events of the 1990s was limited to burying bodies under orders – specifically, burying the bodies of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and her family on the orders of a superior officer. He alleges that victims who died under torture at the Jaffna military base were transported to Chemmani for burial over the course of nearly a year. Rajapakse’s letter strongly criticizes successive governments for shielding high-ranking officers while making lower-level soldiers scapegoats. He and four other soldiers were the only ones convicted in the Krishanthi abduction/murder case, and he notes that all five convicted men admitted only to carrying out burial orders from above. By volunteering information now – and even planning to petition the UN Human Rights Council with his account – the convicted soldier is effectively corroborating the mass grave’s origins and urging that the chain of command behind these crimes be exposed. His sudden appeal places additional pressure on Sri Lanka’s justice system: it underlines that key witnesses (even imprisoned ones) are willing to come forward, and it challenges the government to follow the evidence “wherever it leads,” potentially implicating senior military officials.

International Responses and Calls for Accountability

International Forensic Standards:

The scale and sensitivity of the Chemmani mass grave have drawn intense international attention in recent weeks. Prominent human rights organizations are urging Sri Lanka to adhere to global best practices in investigating this site. In late July, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) released a detailed statement calling on the government to ensure the Chemmani exhumations meet international human rights law and forensic standards. The ICJ emphasized using the Minnesota Protocol – the UN’s guidelines for investigating unlawful deaths – to guarantee proper handling of evidence and respect for victims’ dignity. “Behind every set of remains lies a family that has endured unimaginable suffering,” noted Mandira Sharma, ICJ’s Senior Legal Adviser, stressing that families of the disappeared must be fully involved and informed throughout the process. Crucially, the ICJ and other watchdogs insist that independent international oversight is needed. They warn that Sri Lanka’s institutions have a poor track record on such cases, and outside expertise and monitoring would lend credibility. According to the ICJ, the Chemmani exhumations represent a “critical juncture for Sri Lanka’s transitional justice process” and must not become “a mere forensic exercise” without accountability.

In its statement, the ICJ outlined concrete recommendations to authorities, including: engaging independent international forensic experts and observers to assist the investigation; preserving all evidence with an eye toward future criminal trials; providing psychosocial, legal, and security support to victim families participating in the process; and making the findings transparent (with interim and final reports released to families and the public). The ICJ also urged Sri Lanka to implement its own commitments, such as the Enforced Disappearances Act of 2018, which to date has resulted in “no successful prosecutions” or effective investigations. International law obligates Sri Lanka not only to identify remains, but to “uncover the full chain of responsibility” for the crimes and guarantee victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparations. Given that past domestic inquiries into mass graves (Chemmani in the early 2000s, Mannar in 2018, etc.) were stalled or suppressed without yielding justice, global legal experts are closely watching how Chemmani is handled as a barometer of the country’s commitment to accountability.

Visits by International Officials:

On the ground, diplomats and international officials have begun to observe the Chemmani proceedings. Notably, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk visited Sri Lanka in June 2025 and made it a point to travel to the Chemmani mass grave site. His visit – the first by a UN rights chief in nine years – was highly symbolic. Standing at the edge of the excavation, Türk remarked that Chemmani is a “compelling reminder that the past haunts the lives of many in Sri Lanka”. He highlighted the case as emblematic of the urgent need for Sri Lanka to break its cycle of impunity. Protesters met the High Commissioner during his visit, urging stronger UN monitoring of the process and reiterating the call for an international investigative mechanism to address Sri Lanka’s “killing fields” and mass graves. Diplomats from other countries have also shown interest. In early August, Swiss Ambassador Siri Walt led a delegation to the Chemmani site to observe the forensic operations firsthand. Such visits indicate growing international scrutiny. They also provide moral support to local investigators and victims’ families, while sending a message to Colombo that the world is watching.

Foreign governments are beginning to respond as well. In Australia, for example, lawmakers of Tamil origin and others have raised Chemmani in calls for justice. Protests by the Tamil diaspora in Canberra (mentioned in the next section) prompted some Australian senators to demand an international investigation into the Chemmani mass graves. There is also an expectation that the issue will feature in upcoming sessions of the UN Human Rights Council. The ICJ urged the UNHRC to renew and strengthen its Sri Lanka resolution at the Council’s 60th session (scheduled for September 2025), and to extend the mandate of the OHCHR’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project, precisely because of cases like Chemmani that underscore ongoing impunity. In sum, the Chemmani discovery has re-energized international advocacy around Sri Lanka’s enforced disappearance crisis, with calls for oversight coming from legal experts, the UN, and foreign officials alike.

Government Reaction to International Calls:

The Sri Lankan government has been measured in its response to international pressure. It acknowledges that technical assistance from abroad may be necessary for tasks like DNA identification of remains or other advanced forensic tests. “If we need international technical help... that’s something we can discuss,” said Deputy Minister of National Integration Muneer Mulaffer in an interview on August 4. Officials have mentioned Sri Lanka may reach out to “international friends and partners” for expertise when needed – for instance, to address the lack of a local DNA laboratory or to bring in specialized forensic anthropologists. In fact, the involvement of foreign experts is not without precedent: forensic specialists from abroad assisted in previous mass grave cases (like Mannar in 2018). However, the government draws a line at broader international intervention. Mulaffer asserted that aside from technical expertise, “there’s no need for another type of intervention, because we are giving our full support [to a fair investigation]”. This suggests that while Colombo is open to outside help, it resists the notion of outside oversight or an independent international inquiry that might take the matter out of domestic hands.

The government’s stance is that it has not obstructed the investigation and is committed to justice, so an international investigative mechanism (as demanded by some Tamil groups) is unnecessary. This position directly addresses figures like C.V. Wigneswaran – a retired Supreme Court Justice and former Northern Province Chief Minister – who recently called for an international oversight mechanism due to a “breakdown of public trust” in local authorities. Balancing domestic sovereignty with international expectations is a delicate task for the Dissanayake administration. How it handles offers of foreign help will be scrutinized. Thus far, the government’s message to the international community has been, in essence: “We welcome your technical expertise, but trust us to conduct the investigation ourselves.” Whether this will satisfy critics remains to be seen, especially if any sign emerges of political influence over the probe’s outcome.

Advocacy by Victims’ Families and Civil Society

Families of the Disappeared:

At the heart of the Chemmani tragedy are the thousands of Tamil families of the disappeared, for whom each new skeleton unearthed is deeply personal. The continuous exhumations have been both agonizing and hopeful for these families. Many have spent decades not knowing the fate of their loved ones. As skeletal remains surface “clumsily buried under the soil just outside town,” relatives are torn between hope and dread – hopeful that at least the truth about their missing kin might finally be uncovered, but fearful that these bones could confirm their worst nightmares. “Each of us looking for a missing relative has been undergoing enormous pain,” says 75-year-old P. Arumugasamy, who has searched for his brother since he was arrested by the army in 1996. Now, as news spreads of human remains being found at Chemmani, families like his find themselves in a limbo of uncertainty: “We wonder if one of them could be our Partheepan,” said one sister of a disappeared man. Every time a mass grave is discovered in Sri Lanka, these families are put through renewed waves of trauma and anxiety, as was seen with previous graves in Mannar and Mullaitivu.

Despite the emotional toll, families of the disappeared have played an active role in the process. They have legal representation on site – for example, attorney Ranitha Gnanarajah and lawyer K. Kanagaraja (Anandaraja) are working with and appearing on behalf of victims’ families during the Chemmani excavations. Families have been allowed to observe portions of the excavation, and some even assist in small ways such as providing food and tea to the excavation team, all the while patiently waiting by the graveside for answers. Activists emphasize that the families are not just passive observers but “active partners in the process” whose input is crucial. They share information about their missing relatives, recall events from the time of disappearance, and help identify personal items found, thereby contributing to the investigation. However, the families also demand dignity and recognition: they want the state to acknowledge them as a special category of victims who deserve transparency and support (psychosocial aid, updates on progress, inclusion in decision-making). After years of being kept in the dark, these families insist on being informed of every development – they do not want a repeat of past excavations where results were kept opaque.

Civil Society and Human Rights Activists:

Sri Lankan human rights groups and civil society activists (many of whom have long accompanied the families of the disappeared in protests and petitions) have seized on Chemmani as a potential turning point. Local activists have for years decried the “silence of successive regimes” regarding mass graves – what ITAK’s letter calls a moral failure that undermines any reconciliation efforts. Now, with bones in hand, these groups are amplifying calls for truth and justice. They have organized vigils and discussions in Jaffna to keep public attention on the site. Notably, on June 5, 2025, shortly after the excavation began, a protest was held near Chemmani junction in Jaffna, where demonstrators – including the families – demanded an international inquiry into the mass grave. Tamil politicians across party lines have also put aside differences to press this issue: for instance, the Tamil National Alliance (through ITAK) issued their formal demands in July (as discussed above), and former Chief Minister Wigneswaran (from a different Tamil party) added his influential voice calling for UN oversight.

Activists underscore that Chemmani is part of a broader pattern of wartime atrocities. Their messaging often frames it in terms of genocide and state violence. The British Tamils Forum, a diaspora advocacy group, pointed out that Chemmani and similar sites were documented in submissions to the UN’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project as emblematic cases of past atrocities. Local memorialization groups in the North have also been collecting evidence and testimonies related to Chemmani since the 1990s, ensuring that the community’s memories are not lost even if official inquiries faltered. Some activists have even returned to old records – for example, re-reading a 1998 Parliament speech by MP Neelan Tiruchelvam in which he urged proper investigation of Chemmani back then. They note how Tiruchelvam’s warnings (to use forensic experts, meticulous methods, and preserve evidence) were ignored to the country’s detriment. This historical context is being used to insist that this time Chemmani must be handled right, and that authorities should incorporate international best practices and expertise as was recommended decades ago.

Tamil Diaspora and International Advocacy:

The Chemmani developments have reverberated through the Tamil diaspora worldwide, spurring demonstrations and political lobbying abroad. In late July, Tamil community organizations in Australia staged rallies in Canberra to raise awareness and demand international action. On July 22, protesters gathered outside the Sri Lankan High Commission and then marched to the Australian Foreign Affairs Department and the local UN office. They delivered briefings on the Chemmani graves to officials and voiced a set of demands, summed up by the slogan “Uncovering Chemmani, uncovering genocide.” Their calls went beyond just Chemmani: they urged a comprehensive international investigation into all mass graves in Sri Lanka, a tough new UN Human Rights Council resolution in the upcoming session, travel bans for Sri Lankan military officers implicated in atrocities, protection for witnesses, release of long-detained Tamil political prisoners, and international recognition that the massacres of Tamils constitute genocide. A spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Refugee Council, Renuga Inpakumar, passionately highlighted the discovery of a child’s skeleton with a schoolbag as “undeniable evidence of a state-led campaign to erase a people.” “The soil of Chemmani is speaking,” she said, “and it confirms what Tamil families have always said — this is genocide. ...Justice cannot remain buried.”.

Similar advocacy is taking place in the UK, Canada, and other countries with significant Tamil diaspora. The British Tamils Forum lobbied UN High Commissioner Türk prior to his visit, urging him to see Chemmani in person (which he eventually did). Diaspora groups are preparing to push for stronger language on mass graves during UN discussions in Geneva, hoping the Chemmani case will catalyze an international accountability mechanism (potentially an international judicial process, since domestic efforts have failed). They caution against taking the new Sri Lankan government’s promises at face value – arguing that despite a change in leadership, only international pressure will ensure a thorough pursuit of justice. The diaspora’s mobilization has also had political impact in their resident countries. As noted, in Australia, senators have raised Chemmani in parliamentary forums. There is also talk of revisiting universal jurisdiction cases or sanctions against Sri Lankan officials if domestic accountability does not progress, using the fresh evidence from Chemmani as a basis.

Outlook and Next Steps

As of August 5, 2025, the second phase of Chemmani excavations is wrapping up, with over 118 human remains exhumed and ground scans underway to detect any further graves. The focus is now poised to shift from fieldwork to analysis – and critically, to determining what justice will look like for these victims. The immediate next steps include forensic examination of the bones (potentially with international laboratory assistance) and efforts to identify the remains and return them to families where possible. The Jaffna Magistrate is expected to receive detailed forensic reports in the coming weeks, and decisions will need to be made about extending the excavation if GPR finds more evidence. The Magistrate’s Court may also convene hearings to discuss inquests for the unidentified bodies.

The central question is whether the Chemmani mass grave findings will lead to legal accountability for the perpetrators of these 1990s-era crimes. Victims’ families and activists demand that the investigation must culminate in criminal prosecutions – ideally of those who ordered and carried out the killings. The government’s response so far will soon be tested: having pledged full support, it must demonstrate political will by empowering investigators to follow leads up the chain of command. The coming months could see moves to integrate the new evidence with the dormant 1999 case and possibly the launching of fresh police investigations or even commissions of inquiry. Given Sri Lanka’s history, however, there is also a real fear that bureaucratic delays or political caution could once again hinder progress once the media spotlight fades.

Internationally, Chemmani will feature prominently in Sri Lanka’s human rights report card. The UN Human Rights Council’s autumn session will likely debate Sri Lanka’s progress on post-war accountability, and Chemmani will be cited as a test case. Successful handling of the Chemmani grave – meaning a transparent, expert-driven investigation with justice for victims – could serve as a model for examining other mass graves on the island, many of which remain uninvestigated. Conversely, any signs of cover-up or incompetence could reinforce calls for an external mechanism. The “Dissanayake government,” elected on promises of reform, faces a defining test in Chemmani: it can either build trust by delivering truth and justice, or erode it by repeating the mistakes of the past.

For the families standing vigil by the Chemmani gravesite, the hope is that 2025 will finally bring some answers – and perhaps a measure of closure – after nearly thirty years. As one Tamil father, still searching for his son, cautiously said: “I am trying to remain hopeful that the findings will bring us some answers at least this time.” The soil of Chemmani has spoken, revealing the secrets it held. It is now up to Sri Lanka’s institutions, with help from the international community, to listen to those voices of the dead – and to respond with truth, justice, and the guarantees of non-repetition that victims and survivors have awaited for far too long.

Key Recent Developments (Aug 1–5, 2025)

Date

Key Development

2025-07-28

Skeleton count crosses 100: By this date, at least 101 skeletal remains (including children and infants) had been exhumed from the Chemmani–Sindhubaththi cemetery, underscoring the grave’s scale. Personal items like schoolbags and toys found with the bodies intensified calls for transparent, internationally supervised investigations.

2025-07-29

ICJ urges international oversight: The International Commission of Jurists urged Sri Lanka to allow independent international oversight of the Chemmani mass grave investigation. In a public statement, the ICJ stressed adherence to the Minnesota Protocol and issued a 7-point recommendation plan (e.g. engage foreign forensic experts, support victims’ families, preserve evidence for prosecutions) to ensure the excavation leads to truth and accountability.

2025-08-02

Harrowing find of adult and child: Excavators reached a total of 118 skeletons uncovered. Notably, one skeleton of an adult was discovered cradling the remains of a small child, providing heartbreaking evidence of the brutality involved. Multiple infants’ remains have been found in the grave, pointing to the killing of entire families.

2025-08-02

Global attention on-site: Switzerland’s Ambassador Siri Walt visited the Chemmani excavation site with a delegation to observe the forensic work and consult with experts. Her visit signaled growing international interest and support for the investigation. Observers noted delays in deploying Ground Penetrating Radar technology were resolved through local university collaboration, with GPR scans scheduled for Aug 4 to map any further graves.

2025-08-04

Convict offers testimony: Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse, the soldier convicted in the 1996 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy murder case, sent letters to the President and officials offering to testify in an international probe into Chemmani. He claims higher-ranking officers were responsible for the dozens of burials and that he only acted under orders to bury bodies – a bid to expose those who orchestrated the crimes.

2025-08-04

Govt acknowledges need for expertise: The Sri Lankan government stated it might seek technical assistance from international experts (for DNA identification and advanced forensic tests) for cases like Chemmani. However, it rejected calls for broader international intervention, asserting that it fully supports a credible domestic investigation and has not impeded the probe. Officials emphasized there is “already space for a fair investigation” and only foreign technical inputs would be considered if needed.

Each of these developments reflects the multifaceted response to the Chemmani mass grave in early August 2025 – from on-the-ground forensic breakthroughs to high-level appeals for justice and international involvement.


     In solidarity,

     Wimal Navaratnam

     Human Rights Advocate | ABC Tamil Oli (ECOSOC)

     Email: tamilolicanada@gmail.com



References

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