Families of the disappeared demand international oversight of Chemmani mass grave exhumations

Families of the disappeared staged a protest in Jaffna on Thursday, demanding international monitoring of excavations at the Chemmani-Sindubathi mass grave site, where bodies continue to be uncovered.

The demonstration, organised by the Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, took place near the Chemmani Welcome Arch, close to where exhumations are currently underway. Protesters held placards and voiced their frustration over the lack of justice in previous mass grave investigations across the Tamil homeland.

The association also released a statement alongside the protest, expressing deep mistrust in Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms and demanding international participation in the Chemmani exhumation process.

“We believe that the truth about our disappeared loved ones will only come out if these mass grave exhumations are done openly, transparently, and with international participation,” the statement read.

More than 14 human remains have been unearthed so far at the Chemmani-Sindubathi site, including those of young children. Families of the disappeared have described these findings as evidence of “merciless killings” and are calling for the site to be officially designated a mass grave.

“According to international law, any burial site containing the remains of multiple individuals often associated with unlawful killings should be considered a mass grave,” the association stated. “We therefore urge the authorities to officially designate this site as a mass grave and to expand the exhumation to the rest of the cemetery and surrounding areas.”

The Chemmani site has long been linked to some of the most harrowing crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s armed conflict. It was cited in legal proceedings including the high-profile case of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, a Tamil schoolgirl who was raped and murdered by Sri Lankan soldiers in 1996. During that case, and in testimony before various state-appointed commissions, witnesses revealed that dozens of civilians were killed and buried in secret in the Chemmani area.

Despite the identification of multiple mass graves over the years—including in Mannar, Thiruketheeswaram and Kokkuthoduvai—victims’ families say justice remains elusive. “Even in the case of those that have been exhumed, neither truth nor justice has been served,” the association’s statement continued. “The truth has not been delivered to the next of kin and society, and the perpetrators have not been held accountable. The legal process has been tardy and disappointing.”

The association issued five clear demands:

1. The Chemmani exhumation must be officially designated a mass grave investigation.

2. It must be conducted under the supervision of international forensic experts, following global standards.

3. All evidence must be preserved and the process must be transparent.

4. Journalists and relatives of the disappeared must be allowed to observe and report freely.

5. The upcoming visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Sri Lanka should include an inspection of the Chemmani site.

The full text of the statement can be found here.

See more photographs below.