Nineteen human skeletal assemblages have been uncovered so far during excavations at the Sindhubathi Hindu cremation grounds in Jaffna, which concluded its first phase yesterday.
The site, which has now been officially declared a mass grave by the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, is set to undergo a second phase of excavation later this month.
The Chemmani–Sindhubathi burial site first came under renewed scrutiny in February, when human remains were discovered during trenching work carried out by the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha as part of development activities.
Formal excavation efforts began on 15 May under court direction. However, progress was temporarily halted after two days due to heavy rainfall across Jaffna. The excavation resumed on 2 June and continued until yesterday, with forensic teams identifying a total of 19 human skeletal assemblages.
The discovery of the mass grave has drawn significant attention across the Tamil homeland. Chemmani has long been associated with unresolved Sri Lankan atrocities. In 1998, a Sri Lankan soldier testified that mass graves containing the bodies of Tamil civilians killed in custody were located in the area, though subsequent investigations failed to deliver justice or accountability.
Meanwhile, legal counsel filed a petition to the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court last week, requesting that the site be officially designated a mass grave and that further excavation be authorised. On Friday, the court granted a 45-day extension for the second phase of excavation and formally recognised the site as a mass grave — a significant legal development.
Families of the disappeared and Tamil civil society organisations have been calling for international monitoring of the excavations, citing repeated failures in Sri Lanka’s domestic investigative processes. The latest findings at Chemmani–Sindhubathi have renewed calls for full transparency, accountability, and justice for victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
A second phase of the excavation is expected to commence around 26 June.
Trigger warning - graphic photographs below.
