Members of the Methodist Church held a symbolic protest in Chemmani on Tuesday, calling for justice for the victims of the Chemmani mass grave.
The demonstration, attended by clergy and community members, sought to draw attention to the continuing lack of accountability for the mass killings and secret burials carried out by the Sri Lankan military in Chemmani, Jaffna, during the late 1990s.
Among those present was Velan Swamigal, who joined the clergy in prayers and called for truth and justice for those who were killed and buried at the site.
Following the protest, the group undertook a silent march to the Chemmani mass grave, where they offered prayers in memory of the victims and renewed their demand for international accountability.
The Chemmani mass graves came to light in 1998, when a Sri Lankan soldiers on trial for the rape and murder of a Tamil schoolgirl revealed that hundreds of Tamil civilians, including those who had disappeared following the army’s capture of Jaffna in 1995, had been buried there. Although partial excavations uncovered human remains, investigations stalled, and no one has been held accountable to date.
Tuesday’s act of remembrance reflects ongoing efforts by Eelam Tamil religious and civil groups to ensure that the truth behind the Chemmani killings is not forgotten, and that justice for the victims remains a continuing demand.
