Sri Lanka’s sports minister, Namal Rajapaksa, has announced plans to renovate the Duraippah football stadium in Jaffna, the site of a mass grave which held dozens of bodies.
The announcement came during his visit to Duraippah stadium, where he was accompanied by SLFP MP Angajan Ramanthan; Mayor of Jaffna Emmanuel Arnold; and Minister Thenuka Vithanagamage.
The stadium was previously renovated by India’s government and reopened in 2016, costing an approximate, 70 million.
In 1999, a mass grave was uncovered by municipal labourers working on the grounds, whilst the Sri Lankan military-controlled Jaffna. Dozens of bodies were uncovered from the site, but no one has been held accountable for the deaths.
Three separate sites were found, the first contained 8 skeletons, the second 16 skeletons and the third 25 skeletons. It was suspected that those skeletons were those of Tamils killed and buried en masse during the occupation of the Northern Province by the Indian Peace Keeping Force or of the thousands of Tamils disappeared after the military seized control of the Jaffna peninsula in 1995. No formal identification was ever made.
The mass grave at the stadium was raised in the British House of Commons as it was uncovered (see here). Also see coverage from AP at the time here.
In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a ceremony in Jaffna for the inauguration of the Stadium, which was funded by the Indian government. The Indian prime minister went on to praise the people of Jaffna stating, “its foundations are supported by your courage and great sacrifices”.
Read more from News Wire Lk and World Socialist Wide Site.
