REPORT: MASS GRAVES IN SRI LANKA - May 2026

Research Report (May 2026)

A Comprehensive Review of Investigations, Forensic Findings, and Accountability

Plain-Text Summary

The Chemmani mass grave site, located near Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka, is one of the most significant sites linked to enforced disappearances during the country's 26-year Armed conflict (1983–2009). The site first came to public attention in 1998, when Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse confessed in court that 300–400 bodies had been buried there by Sri Lankan Army personnel. A court-ordered excavation in 1999 uncovered 15 skeletons, three of which were identified by relatives. In February 2025, human remains were rediscovered during crematorium construction at Sinthupathy Cemetery. Two subsequent excavation phases in 2025, conducted under judicial supervision, documented 240 skeletal remains — including those of children — along with personal effects such as school bags, toys, feeding bottles, and glass bangles. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) conducted a fact-finding mission in August 2025 and published its report in September 2025, identifying critical gaps in forensic capacity and institutional accountability. Phase 3 was postponed in November 2025 due to rainwater accumulation and funding constraints. In April 2026, the Jaffna Magistrate's Court ordered the resumption of Phase 3, with the government allocating 21 million LKR and granting access to EU diplomatic observers. As of May 2026, no identifications or prosecutions have resulted from the 2025–2026 excavation. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has called for international oversight of the investigation.

1. Executive Summary

Chemmani stands as one of Sri Lanka's most consequential Armed conflict mass grave sites. According to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), it is the seventeenth mass grave officially recorded in the country. Across two completed excavation phases in 2025, a total of 240 skeletal remains were documented, with 239 successfully exhumed for forensic examination. The remains included those of infants and children, underscored by the discovery of personal belongings such as school bags, toys, dolls, feeding bottles, and glass bangles at the site.

Despite the scale of the discovery, forensic analysis to establish identities, ages, and causes of death has progressed slowly. As of May 2026, no identifications have been made from the 2025–2026 excavation, and no criminal prosecutions have been initiated in connection with the site — either from the original 1999 investigation or from the current one.

Phase 3 of the excavation resumed on 27 April 2026, following a postponement of approximately eight months caused by rainwater accumulation and funding disputes. The government allocated 21 million LKR for the third phase, and the Jaffna Magistrate's Court granted permission for diplomatic representatives from the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, and Romania to observe the excavation.

The HRCSL's September 2025 fact-finding report identified "an overarching gap in capacity and will among law enforcement authorities to ensure accountability" as its central finding. The Commission recommended the establishment of a new independent institution for the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, as well as the development of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mass grave investigations. The ICJ has called for international oversight, noting that Sri Lanka has one of the world's highest rates of unresolved enforced disappearances, with estimates ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 cases.

 

2. Background and Context

2.1 The Armed conflict and Jaffna

Sri Lanka's Armed conflict lasted 26 years, from 1983 to 2009, pitting government forces against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The northern Jaffna Peninsula was a primary theatre of conflict. In 1995–1996, the Sri Lankan military launched Operation Riviresa, recapturing the Jaffna Peninsula from LTTE control. The period following the military recapture was marked by widespread reports of mass disappearances of Tamil civilians. Amnesty International documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances in Jaffna during 1996, pointing to a pattern of systematic abuse in areas under military control.

Over 32 mass grave sites have been identified across Sri Lanka since the 1990s, yet few have been fully investigated or resulted in accountability. The country is estimated to have one of the world's highest rates of unresolved enforced disappearances. The ICJ has cited estimates ranging from 60,000 to 100,000 cases of enforced disappearances throughout the conflict and its aftermath.

2.2 Enforced Disappearances and the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy Case

Among the cases that drew international attention to the situation in Jaffna was the 1996 rape and murder of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, an 18-year-old Tamil schoolgirl, by Sri Lankan Army personnel at the Chemmani checkpoint. Her mother, Rassammah Kumaraswamy, her younger brother, Pranavan, and a neighbor who accompanied the family were also killed. The case became emblematic of the broader pattern of violence against Tamil civilians in military-controlled areas. Court proceedings in the case eventually produced testimony that linked the site to a much larger pattern of killings and burials.

2.3 The 1998 Revelation

In 1998, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse, a Sri Lankan Army soldier, confessed during court proceedings that between 300 and 400 bodies had been buried at Chemmani by military personnel. This confession prompted immediate calls for a full investigation. In July 1998, Member of Parliament Neelan Tiruchelvam delivered a speech in Parliament demanding an investigation into the mass burial site. A court-ordered excavation was subsequently conducted between June and September 1999, during which 15 skeletons were uncovered. Three of the skeletons were identified by relatives, and two were confirmed as persons who had been taken into Army custody in 1996 and subsequently disappeared. However, no further excavations were conducted for over two decades, and the site was excluded from transitional justice mechanisms established during the intervening years.

 

3. Investigative Framework and Methodology

3.1 Legal Basis

The current investigation into the Chemmani mass grave site is conducted under the relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979, which empowers magistrates to order investigations upon the discovery of human remains. The Jaffna Magistrate's Court has exercised judicial supervision throughout the process. The initial magistrate overseeing the investigation was Mr. Amalavalan Anandarajah; Magistrate S. Lenin Kumar subsequently assumed responsibility for the case.

3.2 Investigation Team

The investigation has been conducted by a multidisciplinary team comprising:

●      Judicial Medical Officer (JMO): Dr. Selliah Pranavan, responsible for forensic examination and exhumation of remains.

●      Archaeological Expert: Prof. Raj Somadeva, assigned to supervise the excavation and exhumation at the mass grave site.

●      Head of Forensic Medicine: Dr. P.A. Dinesh Coonghe, Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.

●      Criminal Investigation Department (CID): Responsible for the preliminary criminal investigation.

●      Office on Missing Persons (OMP): Serving as observers to the investigation.

On 5 August 2025, the Faculty of Technology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura conducted Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) scanning at the site to detect hidden burial zones and map the extent of the grave area. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death serves as a reference framework for the investigation methodology. The HRCSL has recommended the development of a formal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mass grave investigations in Sri Lanka.

3.3 Three-Phase Excavation Approach

The investigation has been structured in three phases: Phase 1 consisted of pit analysis to confirm the existence of a mass grave. Phase 2 involved the main excavation and exhumation of remains. Phase 3, resumed in April 2026, continues the excavation of areas identified as containing additional remains. All recovered remains are stored at the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Jaffna for analysis.

 

4. Findings to Date

The excavation has produced significant forensic and material evidence across two completed phases. Key physical findings include the presence of infant and child remains; personal effects including feeding bottles, dolls, toys, children's bags and shoes, glass bangles, earrings, fabric, Bata slippers, and a blue school bag labeled "ABC"; and 14 separate piles of bones arranged in a manner inconsistent with customary burial practices.

The HRCSL's fact-finding mission noted that over 90 percent of the remains had no form of clothing whatsoever, which experts stated ruled out customary burials by Hindu adherents. The remains were found at very shallow depths — in some cases as shallow as 1.5 to 2 feet from the surface — and in extreme proximity to one another, leading experts to conclude that there is a "reasonable likelihood that the burials were unlawful and pursuant to extrajudicial killings." In August 2025, personal items recovered from the site were publicly displayed under court order to allow families of the disappeared to attempt to identify belongings.

4.1 Summary of Excavation Phases

Phase	Dates	Duration (Days)	Remains Found	Key Evidence	Status
Phase 1	Early 2025	9	—	Pit analysis confirmed mass grave existence	Completed
Phase 2	March – August 2025 (concluded 6 September 2025)	45 (32 active + breaks)	240 skeletal remains documented; 239 exhumed	Infant/child remains; feeding bottles, dolls, toys, children's bags, shoes, glass bangles, earrings, fabric, Bata slippers, blue school bag labeled "ABC"; 14 piles of bones; >90% of remains unclothed; shallow burial depth (1.5–2 feet); extreme proximity of remains	Completed
Phase 3	Resumed 27 April 2026	Estimated 8 weeks (56 days)	To be determined	Additional skeletal remains believed present; 21 million LKR allocated; EU and European diplomatic observers granted access	Ongoing

 

 

Chemmani Mass Graves — Research Report (May 2026)

 

5. Forensic and Identification Status

All recovered remains from the 2025–2026 excavation are currently stored at the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Jaffna. Forensic analysis aimed at establishing identities, ages, and causes of death has been ongoing but has not yet yielded identifications. This contrasts with the 1999 excavation, during which three of the 15 exhumed skeletons were identified by relatives, including members of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy's family, and two were confirmed as persons who had disappeared after being taken into Army custody in 1996.

The HRCSL's fact-finding report identified significant gaps in Sri Lanka's forensic capacity for mass grave investigations. The country lacks adequate expertise and technology for carbon dating and complex gravesite processing. DNA testing has not been reported as underway. The absence of clothing on more than 90 percent of the remains further complicates conventional identification methods, as there are no garments or personal effects directly associated with individual sets of remains to aid in visual identification.

The OMP has acknowledged the inherent complexity of mass grave investigations, noting that "mass graves tend to be obviously a lot more complicated than your normal crime scenes" and that they require multidisciplinary teams with specialized expertise. The government has stated its readiness to work with credible international partners to address these forensic capacity gaps, though no formal international forensic partnership had been announced as of May 2026.

 

6. Legal, Political, and Social Implications

6.1 Accountability Deficit

No criminal prosecutions have followed from either the 1999 or the 2025–2026 excavations at Chemmani. The HRCSL's central finding states: "while specific institutional actors appear to be discharging their duties with commitment and care, there remains an overarching gap in capacity and will among law enforcement authorities to ensure accountability for the deaths of the persons found at the site." The Commission recommended the establishment of a new independent institution specifically tasked with the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes.

6.2 Political Interference and Funding Disputes

The investigation has been marked by funding disputes and allegations of political interference. In April 2025, the Jaffna Magistrate's Court was informed that the government was not making funds available for the excavation. Funding was subsequently allocated, but the dispute contributed to delays. Phase 3 was further postponed in November 2025 due to rainwater accumulation at the site. In April 2026, the court ordered the resumption of Phase 3 following confirmation that 21 million LKR had been allocated by the Ministry of Justice.

6.3 Civil Society and International Response

The Movement for Equal Rights staged protests in Jaffna demanding that the government reopen the Chemmani investigation without further delay, alleging deliberate stalling and obstruction. Civil society organizations and legal advocates have called for unobstructed access to the investigation and greater transparency. In July 2025, the ICJ issued a statement calling for international oversight of the Chemmani investigation, noting Sri Lanka's history of institutional failures in accountability and the estimated 60,000 to 100,000 unresolved enforced disappearance cases.

6.4 Impact on Families

The investigation carries profound significance for Tamil families of the disappeared, many of whom have waited decades for answers about the fate of their loved ones. The site's exclusion from transitional justice mechanisms over the period from 2000 to 2024, during which no further excavations were conducted, has compounded the anguish of affected communities. Successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to pursue forensic follow-up or prosecutions since the 1999 excavation, contributing to a deep deficit of trust between affected communities and state institutions.

 

7. Timeline of Key Events

Date / Period	Event
1983–2009	Sri Lankan Armed conflict between government forces and the LTTE.
1995–1996	Military recapture of Jaffna Peninsula (Operation Riviresa); reports of mass civilian disappearances in areas under military control.
1996	Rape and murder of 18-year-old schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy by Sri Lankan Army soldiers at the Chemmani checkpoint; killing of her mother Rassammah, brother Pranavan, and a neighbor.
1996	Amnesty International documents enforced disappearances in Jaffna following military operations.
1998	Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapakse confesses in court that 300–400 bodies were buried at Chemmani by military personnel.
July 1998	MP Neelan Tiruchelvam delivers parliamentary speech calling for investigation into the Chemmani mass burial site.
June–Sept. 1999	Court-ordered excavation uncovers 15 skeletons; 3 identified by relatives; 2 confirmed as persons taken into Army custody in 1996.
2000–2024	No further excavations conducted; site excluded from transitional justice mechanisms; institutional silence.
13 Feb. 2025	Construction workers at Sinthupathy Cemetery discover human remains during crematorium construction.
Early 2025	Phase 1 excavation — pit analysis confirms existence of a mass grave (9 days).
Mar.–Aug. 2025	Phase 2 excavation — 240 skeletal remains documented, 239 exhumed (45 days, 32 active + breaks).
3–4 Aug. 2025	HRCSL commissioners conduct fact-finding mission at Chemmani, meeting magistrate, JMO, CID, OMP, and civil society.
5 Aug. 2025	GPR scanning by University of Sri Jayewardenepura's Faculty of Technology identifies new potential burial areas.
Aug. 2025	Personal items publicly displayed under court order for families of the disappeared to attempt identification.
6 Sept. 2025	Phase 2 excavation concluded.
3 Sept. 2025	HRCSL publishes fact-finding report with findings and recommendations.
9 Apr. 2025	Jaffna Magistrate's Court informed that the government is not making funds available for excavation.
Nov. 2025	Phase 3 postponed due to rainwater accumulation; next review date set for 19 January 2026.
29 Apr. 2026	Jaffna Magistrate's Court orders resumption of Phase 3; government allocates 21 million LKR; EU and European diplomatic observers granted access.
May 2026	Phase 3 ongoing at time of this report.

 

 

Chemmani Mass Graves — Research Report (May 2026)

 

8. Outstanding Questions and Information Needs

The following questions remain unresolved as of May 2026:

1.     How many more remains are buried at the Chemmani site beyond the 240 documented to date?

2.     What is the total geographic extent of the burial area?

3.     Can DNA identification be performed given the condition and age of the remains?

4.     Who ordered the killings and burials, and what was the chain of command?

5.     Why were children among the victims?

6.     What happened to the estimated 300–400 bodies referenced in Lance Corporal Rajapakse's 1998 confession — have all been accounted for?

7.     What is the precise connection between the Sinthupathy Cemetery finds (February 2025) and the earlier Chemmani site investigated in 1999?

8.     Will the government permit full international forensic participation, including independent DNA analysis and carbon dating?

9.     Will criminal prosecutions follow the forensic findings?

10. What reparations or acknowledgment will be offered to the families of the victims?

 

9. Recommendations

Based on the findings reviewed in this report, the following recommendations are presented:

11. Establish an independent investigative body — as recommended by the HRCSL — dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes, including those arising from mass grave discoveries.

12. Develop and adopt a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mass grave investigations, in close consultation with relevant experts, attorneys-at-law, and civil society representatives.

13. Secure international forensic expertise, particularly for DNA analysis, carbon dating, and complex gravesite processing, through formal partnerships with established international forensic institutions.

14. Ensure sustained and adequate funding for all excavation phases, eliminating delays caused by bureaucratic or political obstacles to fund allocation.

15. Guarantee transparent access for diplomatic observers, civil society, media, and families of the disappeared throughout all stages of the investigation.

16. Initiate criminal investigation if an offence is disclosed at the conclusion of the forensic analysis, with findings reported to the Magistrate.

17. Provide regular official updates to all stakeholders, including families of the disappeared, on the progress of excavation, forensic analysis, and any identification efforts.

18. Integrate findings into the broader transitional justice framework, ensuring that Chemmani is not treated in isolation from Sri Lanka's wider accountability obligations.

19. Establish a victim identification and family notification protocol that ensures dignity, sensitivity, and due process in communicating results to families.

20. Preserve site integrity and ensure chain of custody for all evidence, in accordance with international forensic standards including the Minnesota Protocol.

 

Chemmani Mass Graves — Research Report (May 2026)

 

10. Limitations

 

Note on Limitations The following limitations should be considered when interpreting the contents of this report.

 

●      This report relies on publicly available information current through May 2026. Developments occurring after this date are not reflected.

●      Forensic analysis of the recovered remains is ongoing, and findings — including identifications, cause-of-death determinations, and age estimations — may change as analysis progresses.

●      This report does not contain classified or restricted content.

●      This report does not make legal determinations of guilt or liability. All references to potential offences or unlawful conduct reflect preliminary expert observations and official statements, not adjudicated facts.

●      Certain historical events described herein are based on court testimony, media reporting, and published reports by international organizations, which may be subject to revision as additional information becomes available.

●      The full geographic extent of the burial site has not been determined. GPR scanning has identified potential additional burial areas, but systematic surveying of all surrounding areas has not been completed.

●      DNA analysis and formal identification results are pending.

 

11. Prioritized Checklist for Next Investigative Steps

#	Priority	Action Item
1	HIGH	Complete Phase 3 excavation and document all remaining burial zones.
2	HIGH	Secure international forensic partnership for DNA testing and carbon dating.
3	HIGH	Establish independent investigative body for the prosecution of serious crimes.
4	HIGH	Develop and formalize Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for mass grave investigations.
5	HIGH	Create systematic victim identification and family notification protocol.
6	MEDIUM	Conduct comprehensive GPR survey of all surrounding areas to map the full extent of burial zones.
7	MEDIUM	Cross-reference recovered remains with the OMP's database of missing persons.
8	MEDIUM	Ensure continued diplomatic and civil society observer access throughout all investigation phases.
9	MEDIUM	Establish secure long-term storage facility for forensic evidence with proper chain-of-custody protocols.
10	LOW	Commission independent historical study of 1995–1996 Jaffna military operations and related disappearances.
11	LOW	Develop memorial and commemoration plan in consultation with affected families and communities.
12	LOW	Publish comprehensive public report on all findings upon conclusion of investigation.

 

 

Chemmani Mass Graves — Research Report (May 2026)

 

12. Appendix — Suggested Sources and Annotated Bibliography

The following sources informed this report and are recommended for further reading. Brief annotations describe the relevance and scope of each source. No full text of copyrighted material is reproduced.

1. Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). Report on the Ongoing Investigation into the Mass Grave Site in Chemmani, Jaffna. September 2025. — The official report of the HRCSL fact-finding mission conducted on 3–4 August 2025, documenting institutional findings, forensic observations, capacity gaps, and recommendations including the establishment of an independent investigative body and a Standard Operating Procedure for mass grave investigations.

2. Sri Lanka Brief. "Chemmani Mass Grave – Timeline & Accountability (1996–2025)." September 2025. — A comprehensive timeline tracing events from the 1998 revelation through the 2025 excavation phases, including key court decisions, forensic findings, and accountability developments.

3. Groundviews. "Chemmani Mass Grave: Renewed Excavation Raises Old Questions." By Kumanan Kanapathippillai. July 2025. — An analytical article examining the historical context of the Chemmani site, the significance of the 2025 rediscovery, and questions about institutional will and accountability.

4. JURIST. "Sri Lanka Must Allow International Oversight Into Chemmani Mass Grave, ICJ Urges." By Pitasanna Shanmugathas. July 2025. — Covers the ICJ's statement calling for international oversight, references MP Neelan Tiruchelvam's 1998 parliamentary speech, and provides legal context for the investigation.

5. Ceylon Today. "Chemmani mass grave: From 1999 Revelations to Today's Unearthed Truths." August 2025. — Detailed reporting on the physical excavation process, evidence recovered during Phase 2 including personal effects and skeletal evidence, and comparisons with the 1999 investigation.

6. The Morning. "Chemmani mass grave: Sri Lanka's gap in forensic expertise." September 2025. — Reports on the forensic capacity gaps identified by the HRCSL and experts, the need for international collaboration in DNA analysis and carbon dating, and the challenges of investigating decades-old mass graves.

7. Tamil Guardian. "Sri Lankan government refuses funding for Chemmani mass grave excavation." April 2025. — Documents the funding disputes that arose in April 2025, government delays in fund allocation, and the impact on the excavation timeline.

8. Jaffna Monitor. "Chemmani Mass Grave Excavation Postponed to 2026 Due to Rainwater Accumulation." November 2025. — Reports on the postponement of Phase 3 due to environmental factors, the January 2026 review date, and the Movement for Equal Rights' protests demanding unobstructed investigation.

9. Moneycontrol / PTI. "Children's belongings, 240 skeletons: Sri Lanka's Chemmani mass grave excavation restarts." April 2026. — Coverage of the Phase 3 resumption, the 21 million LKR government allocation, EU diplomatic observer access, and a summary of evidence recovered in prior phases.

10. International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Statement on Chemmani. July 2025. — The ICJ's formal call for international oversight of the Chemmani investigation, citing Sri Lanka's estimated 60,000–100,000 unresolved enforced disappearance cases and the need for credible, independent investigation.

11. Amnesty International. Reports on enforced disappearances in Jaffna. 1996. — Early documentation of mass disappearances of Tamil civilians following the military recapture of the Jaffna Peninsula, providing crucial historical context for the Chemmani case.

12. Office on Missing Persons (OMP), Sri Lanka. — The official body overseeing mass grave investigations in Sri Lanka. The OMP recorded Chemmani as the seventeenth officially documented mass grave site in the country and has served as observer to the ongoing investigation.

13. Code of Criminal Procedure Act, No. 15 of 1979 (Sri Lanka). — The legal statute providing the basis for court-ordered investigations into the discovery of human remains, under which the Jaffna Magistrate's Court has exercised jurisdiction over the Chemmani investigation.

14. United Nations. The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death. 2016 (revised). — The international reference standard for death investigation methodologies, including protocols for mass grave excavation, forensic analysis, and evidence preservation. Referenced as a framework for the Chemmani investigation.

 

Chemmani Mass Graves — Research Report (May 2026)  |  Prepared by Wimal Navaratnam  |  For informational purposes only.

     In solidarity,

     Wimal Navaratnam

     Human Rights Defender |Independent Researcher | ABC Tamil Oli (ECOSOC)

      Email: tamilolicanada@gmail.com