Chemmani mass grave: Remains rise above 400 as Govt., Oppn. agree on need for faster forensic probe

• ITAK calls for immediate involvement of internationally recognised experts and faster identification of victims

The Government yesterday confirmed that over 400 skeletal remains had been recovered from the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna as of 23 June, while assuring Parliament that international forensic expertise would be sought where necessary, as the Opposition pressed for the immediate involvement of globally recognised institutions to expedite the identification process.

The issue was taken up in Parliament by Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, who noted that when he had submitted his question, the reported number of skeletal remains exceeded 380, but had since risen beyond 400 according to unofficial estimates. 

Describing Chemmani as the largest mass grave excavation discovered in Sri Lanka to date, he said the scale of the findings had raised serious questions over victim identification, forensic investigations, accountability, and the Government’s efforts to establish the truth.

Rasamanickam sought details on the latest official body count, the breakdown of adults, juveniles, children, and infants among the remains, the progress of forensic examinations and DNA analyses, measures being taken to establish the identity and cause of death of victims, international forensic assistance received by the Government, and the status of evidence from the original Chemmani investigations following the Krishanti Kumaraswamy murder case in 1996. 

He also sought an assurance that a reputed international forensic institution would be engaged to assist with victim identification.

Responding, Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara said that as of 23 June, 412 skeletal remains had been identified and 409 recovered. He said the Judicial Medical Officer had not yet submitted a breakdown of the remains to Court and that such details would only become available after forensic anthropological analysis, which has yet to commence. 

He added that the current phase of the investigation remained focused on excavation and exhumation.

The Minister said the cause and approximate period of death would be established through forensic anthropological and archaeological analysis, while more than 400 family members had attended an identification exercise for clothing and other artefacts recovered from the site on 5 August 2025. He added that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was continuing parallel investigations.

Nanayakkara said the Government had invited forensic assistance from international entities and was in discussions with several embassies, acknowledging that Sri Lanka lacked sufficient expertise in all aspects of mass grave investigations. He said the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) was also working with international organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, while internationally recognised institutions would be engaged for DNA analysis and other specialised examinations where required, based on the recommendations of the forensic anthropology team and the courts.

The Minister also revealed that he had proposed commencing forensic analysis and identification work on the remains already recovered instead of waiting until excavations were completed. He said discussions were underway with Judicial Medical Officers and the forensic anthropology team on whether the different stages of the investigation could proceed simultaneously in order to expedite the process.

Welcoming the Minister’s visit to Chemmani and his engagement with affected communities, Rasamanickam said he appreciated the Government’s willingness to consider international expertise but argued that such expertise was already necessary given the complexity of identifying remains believed to date back decades.

He urged the Government to begin processing the more than 400 recovered remains without waiting for excavations to conclude, arguing that local experts could continue to build capacity while internationally experienced specialists assisted with the current investigation. 

He also welcomed steps taken by the Government, including securing the site and engaging senior officials, but stressed that progress should be accelerated so affected families receive answers without unnecessary delay.

Replying, Nanayakkara said he shared the Opposition MP’s objective of completing the investigation as expeditiously as possible and confirmed that international expertise would be brought in when required.

“What we started, we are going to finish,” he said, adding that the Government remained committed to supporting the courts, investigators, and the OMP in establishing the truth behind those buried at Chemmani.

The exchange remained notably respectful throughout, with Rasamanickam thanking the Minister for his engagement on the issue and Nanayakkara acknowledging the concerns raised by the Opposition while maintaining that the Government had “no business covering anything up.”