What We Hear from Chemmani A Day of Grief, Evidence, Unanswered Questions, and the Living Proof That Remains

Excavating an infant’s remains from the Chemmani mass grave

August 5, 2025, was not just another date in Sri Lanka’s calendar. It was a moment when the nation was forced, however reluctantly, to look again at one of its darkest, most unhealed wounds. In Jaffna, families of the disappeared gathered at the Ariyalai Siththupaththi Hindu Cemetery to view personal items unearthed from the Chemmani mass graves. On display were fragments of clothing, shoes, jewellery, and everyday possessions, silent witnesses to lives cut short. None were positively identified that day, yet the weight of the moment could not be measured in matches found. It was in the heavy air, the trembling hands, and the eyes that scanned each item for a sliver of truth.

Over 200 people came, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, children now grown to search for a trace of those who vanished decades ago. Many have been searching for nearly thirty years. The public viewing, far from being an open gathering, was a controlled judicial process under the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court. Strict guidelines had been issued by Magistrate A.A. Anandarajah: only registered relatives of the disappeared were allowed in; identification was compulsory; no recording devices were permitted; and no touching of the items was allowed. The proceedings were shielded from spectacle, yet they could not shield the raw grief.

The Long Shadow of Chemmani: Where Past and Present Collide

The mass grave at Chemmani is unlike any other in Sri Lanka’s troubled history. First exposed in 1998 through the testimony of Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapaksa, already convicted in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy rape and murder case, Chemmani was alleged to hold the remains of 300 to 400 Tamil civilians killed during the army’s 1996 recapture of Jaffna. Excavations that followed uncovered only 15 bodies, two of them identified. The rest of the investigation was smothered by political interference, secrecy, and fear. Names of alleged perpetrators were given to authorities, but no senior military officer was prosecuted. Thirteen bodies remain unidentified to this day, and the site was left unmarked.

Now, in 2025, human remains have re-emerged almost by accident, unearthed during renovations at a crematorium near the old site. The discovery has reignited Chemmani’s shadow over Sri Lanka’s justice system. This is more than another grim excavation. Unlike other mass grave cases, Chemmani has a paper trail, eyewitness testimony, named suspects, forensic evidence, and a direct link to a high-profile wartime crime. It is a rare sight where the state cannot plead ignorance, and where the truth could implicate not just low-ranking soldiers, but those who commanded them.

Who should secure citizens all over?

According to “Virakesari” newspaper, on August 03, 2025, Somarathna Rajapaksa, now 29 years into a death sentence, has declared through his wife that he is willing to testify before an international investigation, naming senior military officers and detailing the chain of command. His claims point to a pattern: lower-rank soldiers punished, higher-ups protected, and justice denied. With new remains emerging from the soil, the question is unavoidable: will Chemmani finally force Sri Lanka to confront the crimes of its past, or will it bury the truth once again? 

The Work Beneath the Soil: Chemmani’s Mass Graves Today

At the Chemmani Ariyalai Siththupaththi Hindu cremation site, investigators have now recovered the remains of at least 147 individuals, including those of a child infant, according to victims’ lawyer V.S. Niranjan. On August 5, 2025, Jaffna Magistrate’s Court authorised public identification of clothing and personal items found alongside the skeletons, inviting relatives to assist the inquiry.

The current dig began when Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha workers, renovating the crematorium, unearthed human bones. Although this is a cremation ground, Hindu burials are rare; the legally buried remains lie in the eastern section, while mass graves are being uncovered in the west. Excavations, done entirely by hand, have reached four layers deep in a single pit measuring about 20 metres by seven feet, revealing tightly packed clusters of bodies, some with clothing, sandals, or coins.

The work is conducted under court supervision with forensic officers, archaeologists, police, lawyers for victims and the Office on Missing Persons, and cemetery trustees present. Security is tight, with CCTV, floodlights, and police patrols guarding the site day and night. Amid the rice fields and the threat of snakes, each bone is carefully separated, catalogued, and removed, the slow unearthing of a hidden history.

Perspectives from Families of the Disappeared

On August 5, 2025, Chemmani became more than a site of excavation; it became a gathering place for grief, memory, and hope. Over 200 family members of the disappeared came to view clothing, jewellery, toys, school bags and other items recovered from the mass graves. No one was able to confirm a match that day, but for many, the act of looking was an affirmation that their loved ones had existed and had not vanished by accident.

Some had been searching for nearly 30 years. A father from Chavakachcheri came on his bicycle, still hoping to find a trace of his son, missing since 1996. A mother in her seventies walked from Valikamam despite an injured foot, saying that even a scrap of clothing would allow her to perform last rites. Others spoke of the pain of decades spent petitioning governments with no answers. Later, she showed us the slightly blurred photograph of her missing son at the age of 22. Another Father was looking for his brother-in-law with the mother and daughter, who said, “War did not do anything for us, only just a prospective generational loss to our society. It doesn’t matter who won it; only we lost our beloved untimely loved ones,” they further expressed. 

For them, Chemmani is not just a mass grave; it is proof that the truth was buried along with the bodies. Many believe the current excavations, supported by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court and Ministry of Justice, could finally expose what happened in the late 1990s, as described in Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapaksa’s testimony of 300–400 killings. Amid the sarongs, schoolbags, dolls, and baby bottles, each object speaks to a life cut short. Whether this process will bring closure remains uncertain, but for the families, every unearthed item is a fragment of truth clawed back from the soil.

Chemmani in Political Discourse and the Government’s Position

The Sri Lankan government has so far funded and facilitated the excavation of the Chemmani mass grave under the oversight of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). On 9 July 2025, a heated parliamentary exchange unfolded between MP Rauff Hakeem and Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, with the minister affirming that the Justice Ministry, alongside the OMP and HRCSL, is committed to advancing the process. Similar sentiments were echoed by Health and Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, acting as Cabinet spokesperson.

Last month, the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) wrote to the President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, urging decisive and transparent action over the ongoing investigations into the Chemmani mass graves in Jaffna. In a strongly worded letter, ITAK called for international collaboration, proper forensic standards, and accountability for what it described as clear evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In Parliament, MPs Gajendra Kumar Ponnambalam and Shanakiyan Rasamanickam reinforced the need for accountability, while nationalist figures such as former Minister Wimal Weerawansa dismissed transitional justice efforts. OMP Commissioner Mirak Raheem, speaking in early August, stressed the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving victim families and experts to speed up identification. The first phase of the judicial process has concluded, and the OMP continues to oversee the excavation to avoid delays. Three HRCSL commissioners, Prof. Thaiyamuthu Thanaraj, Prof. Fathima Farzana Haniffa, and Dr. Gehan Dinuk Gunatilleke, visited the site to monitor progress and consult with forensic specialists.

Leader of the House, Bimal Rathnayake, declared that the government sees itself as a “government of peace” committed to facilitating, not obstructing, justice. He added that during the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, Sri Lanka pledged to seek scientific expertise to ensure the integrity of the process.

Legal Framework for Mass Grave Justice in Sri Lanka

Mass grave investigations in Sri Lanka are shaped by a mix of domestic and international obligations covering discovery, investigation, prosecution, victims’ rights, and commemoration. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure Act No. 15 of 1979, suspicious human remains must be reported, triggering inquiries by magistrates and police. The Office on Missing Persons Act No. 14 of 2016 gives the OMP authority to seek court orders for excavations, guide forensic work, and coordinate with relevant agencies. The Cemeteries and Burial Grounds Ordinance protects sites from unlawful disturbance, while the HRCSL can investigate rights violations and recommend state action, though its decisions are not binding.

Internationally, Sri Lanka has ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and is bound by humanitarian law obligations under the Geneva Conventions. The 2020 Bournemouth Protocol offers best-practice guidelines on protecting and investigating mass graves. However, Sri Lanka’s dualist legal system requires treaties to be enacted into domestic law before they have effect, slowing adoption. The absence of ICC membership limits international prosecution options unless referred by the UN Security Council. Past use of Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act allowed for the disposal of bodies without an inquest, undermining compliance with international standards. While the legal framework exists, gaps in enforcement, political will, and resources continue to stall progress.

Media coverage of the Chemmani mass grave remains uneven, extensively reported in Tamil and English outlets but far less in Sinhala-language media. For a cohesive national understanding, the entire country needs access to the truth about past violence and the urgency of reconciliation. Some nationalist political actors have sought to exploit the case for political gain, highlighting the need for sensitive, fact-based reporting that speaks to all citizens rather than deepening divisions.

These photos represent the Family members who visited to identify the artefacts found from the Chemmani Mass Grave and the further Scanning and excavation process

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Global Lessons and Potential Support

In other countries, such as Guatemala, Argentina, Bosnia, Iraq, and Rwanda, mass grave investigations have combined forensic science, international monitoring, and determined legal action to secure convictions and recognition for victims. In these contexts, graves became powerful court evidence rather than silent sites of erasure.

Sri Lanka’s record, from Matale to Mannar, has often ended with incomplete investigations and unresolved wounds. Yet, partnerships with Global South nations that have navigated similar post-conflict legacies could provide valuable expertise, even if global justice mechanisms are inconsistent. While international action has failed to halt atrocities in places like Gaza, Ukraine, and other postcolonial conflicts, targeted cooperation in forensic, legal, and archival work remains possible. Learning from countries that have faced and overcome political resistance to truth-telling could help Sri Lanka move beyond half-truths toward genuine accountability.

The Road Ahead

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura’s technical scans will soon reveal more about what lies beneath Chemmani. The court will then decide how much longer excavations will continue and how much funding is needed. The CID continues parallel investigations, and journalists may observe the site briefly at the end of each digging day. Yet the real question is whether this process will move beyond evidence collection to truth, accountability, and justice or whether Chemmani will fade, like so many other sites of atrocity, into silence. The bones in this earth cannot speak for themselves. Whether they tell their full story will depend on the will of the courts, the courage of the state, and the persistence of the families who refuse to stop searching.

Sakuna M. Gamage, Daily Mirror, 2025-08-16