Australian Senators have issued calls for an international investigation into the mass graves in Chemmani, Jaffna, where forensic teams have exhumed more than 130 skeletal remains so far.
Raising the issue in Parliament last week, Senators David Shoebridge and Fatima Payman expressed solidarity with the Tamil community and urged the Australian government to back an internationally monitored investigation into war crimes committed during and after the armed conflict. Their intervention follows growing pressure from Tamil diaspora groups, who submitted a Joint Appeal on 16 July calling for action in light of the ongoing discoveries.
The Chemmani site, long suspected to conceal the remains of Tamil civilians disappeared during the 1990s, has once again captured global attention. Over the course of 45 days, court-appointed forensic teams uncovered a total of 135 skeletal remains so far. Among the remains were the bodies of children, accompanied by school items.
In Parliament, Senators referred to the Tamil community’s Joint Appeal letter dated 16 July 2025, and urged the Australian Government to take concrete action. The requests included:
- Advocate for an internationally monitored forensic investigation into Chemmani and other mass graves in Sri Lanka;
- Support the extension and proper resourcing of the UN’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP);
- Implement Magnitsky-style targeted sanctions against individuals credibly accused of war crimes and human rights violations;
- As an observer at the UN Human Rights Council, support resolutions referring Sri Lanka to the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
Senator David Shoebridge, representing the Australian Greens, reaffirmed his party’s long-standing commitment to justice for Tamils:
“The Tamil diaspora has done so much to build Australia and contribute to our society. We have a responsibility to stand with them and ensure that the calls for justice are heard and acted upon.”
Shoebridge has also written directly to Foreign Minister Penny Wong, urging the Government to take a principled stance at the international level and act with “moral clarity” on human rights.
“The Greens are committed to working with the Tamil community and civil society to pursue real justice — not just symbolic words,” he added in a statement.
In a heartfelt address to the Senate, Senator Fatima Payman said:
“My heart is with the Tamil community as the Chemmani mass grave excavation brings to light yet more heartbreaking evidence of atrocity. The recovery of children’s skeletons, with schoolbags still beside them, is a devastating reminder that justice delayed is justice denied.”
“I stand in solidarity with all those calling for an independent, international investigation — the world cannot look away.”
Both Shoebridge and Payman have also used their social media platforms to amplify their message. Shoebridge wrote, “Truth cannot be buried,” calling for an internationally supervised forensic investigation, while Payman echoed the urgency for international accountability and solidarity with victims’ families.
The Chemmani site has long been a symbol of Sri Lanka’s unresolved legacy of genocide. Despite early warnings and testimonies dating back more than two decades, consistent international investigations have been sporadic and frequently obstructed. The latest findings, now verified through forensic processes, are among the most damning evidence yet of the scale of atrocities.
Australia’s Tamil community has welcomed the robust stance taken by the Senators. Advocacy groups have reiterated that international pressure is vital in overcoming the persistent culture of impunity in Sri Lanka. Whether the Australian Government chooses to act on these calls could prove pivotal in supporting global efforts to hold perpetrators accountable and secure long-overdue justice for Tamil victims.
