Sri Lanka Court Resumes Chemmani Mass Grave Excavation Under Diplomatic Watch

A Sri Lankan court has ordered the resumption of excavation work at the Chemmani mass grave site in the outskirts of Jaffna, nearly seven months after operations were halted due to funding delays. The move comes amid continued scrutiny over one of the country’s most sensitive post-war investigations linked to the Sri Lankan civil conflict involving the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) .

The excavation, located in the Northern Province , first came into focus in the late 1990s during the height of the conflict and has since been associated with allegations of extrajudicial killings and unlawful burials . Work was paused in September last year after the Ministry of Justice delayed fund allocation , but authorities have now confirmed that LKR 2.1 million has been released , allowing operations to restart under judicial supervision.

The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court has permitted diplomatic representatives from the European Union, France, Germany, Italy and Romania to observe proceedings. Their presence is intended to ensure transparency, credibility and international oversight , given the sensitive nature of the findings and long-standing concerns over wartime accountability.

Earlier phases of excavation had already uncovered 240 skeletal remains , along with 14 piles of bones and personal items such as feeding bottles, toys, shoes and children’s belongings , intensifying suspicions of mass unlawful burials. These discoveries have deepened emotional distress among families of missing persons, while also raising demands for truth, justice and identification of victims .

The judicial medical officer of Jaffna had earlier recommended an eight-week continuation plan , but the process was interrupted mid-way due to administrative delays. Excavation resumed following a court-ordered forensic review triggered by fresh discoveries in February 2025 during routine development work.

Chemmani was first flagged in 1998 when 15 skeletons were recovered, but large-scale investigations did not proceed at the time. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka later stated there is a “reasonable likelihood” that the burials were unlawful and linked to extrajudicial killings , highlighting its importance in post-war transitional justice efforts .

The case remains politically and emotionally sensitive due to unresolved wartime grievances, ethnic tensions, and ongoing demands for accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka’s post-conflict landscape.