Sri Lanka’s largest mass grave investigations, centred around sites in Mannar and Thiruketheeswaram, have continued last week with over 150 boxes with skeletal remains handed to medical experts for further forensic investigation.
The Sathosa mass grave in Mannar, unearthed in May 2018 during construction by the state-owned Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau, yielded 376 skeletal remains, including those of 28 children. On the 190th day of investigations, forensic expert Dr. Saminda Rajapakse labelled the site a “crime scene”.
Subsequent testing by Beta Analytics in Miami dated six skeletal remains to the period between 1404 and 1635 AD. However, this finding was rejected by Professor Raj Somadeva, Sri Lanka’s leading forensic archaeologist, who expressed doubts over the dating methodology. Deep cuts on some of the remains and evidence that some bodies had been bound suggested violence, raising further questions about the grave’s origins.
More than 150 boxes containing human remains from the Sathosa site have now been handed over to the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of Jaffna, Dr. Sellaiah Pranavan, for detailed forensic analysis. Attorney-at-law Vallipuram Sandirapragasam Niranchan, representing the Association of Relatives of Enforced Disappearances (ARED), confirmed that the JMO would examine the bones for age, gender, cause of death, and potential connections to criminal activities. A comprehensive report is expected to be submitted to the Mannar Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, a separate investigation into skeletal remains found at the Thiruketheeswaram mass grave continues. This grave, discovered in December 2013, initially yielded 82 skeletons. Colombo’s JMO, Dr. Sunil Hewage, recently submitted findings regarding 27 of the remains to the court. The report detailed age, gender, and potential causes of death. A further report addressing the remaining remains is expected within six months.
The dual cases came up for hearing on 9th January 2025, with the next hearing scheduled for 12th March. The contents of the reports submitted to the courts remain undisclosed to the public. Attorney Niranchan emphasised that answers to these cases are crucial for the victims' families and the wider Tamil nation.
