CHEMMANI UPDATE — 9 June 2026: 9 skeletons exhumed (8 children). Total identified = 327
CHEMMANI MASS GRAVE — JUNE 2026 FORENSIC UPDATE Prepared for diaspora advocates, legal teams, human‑rights organizations, and diplomatic missions. Executive Summary Latest forensic update: Phase 3 Day 20 (9 June 2026): 9 skeletons exhumed, 8 were children ; site total = 327 skeletons. Leadership and oversight: Excavation led by Prof. Raj Somadeva under the supervision of the Jaffna Magistrates’ Court with a documented chain‑of‑custody. Immediate priorities: independent international forensic oversight; fully funded DNA identification program; family‑centred notification and psychosocial support; transparent public reporting; judicial follow‑through. Background and Significance Chemmani–Siththupaththi in Jaffna first entered public record in the late 1990s following allegations of mass burials. Renewed legal petitions and advocacy in the 2010s led to court‑ordered, systematic excavations beginning in 2025. The site is now one of Sri Lanka’s lar...