Uncovering the Truth: Chemmani Mass Grave Investigation

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake committed to a transparent investigation into the discovery of a mass grave in Chemmani, Jaffna district, on Monday. He assured the public of an inquiry free from interference, emphasizing the administration's intent to prevent a recurrence of such events.

In mid-July, the main Tamil party, Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), had written to President Dissanayake, urging swift and concrete action regarding the excavation. ITAK highlighted that the site is strongly believed to relate to the violent conflict era preceding 2009 in Sri Lanka.

The archaeological findings at Chemmani have drawn global attention. Earlier this year, redevelopment work at Ariyalai crematorium led to the discovery of skeletal remains, prompting the Jaffna Magistrate's court to classify the site as a mass grave and order a supervised excavation. More than 200 skeletal remains have been found, and in June, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, visited the site, expressing concern over the findings.

(With inputs from agencies.)