In February this year, these mass graves resurfaced when construction workers began the groundwork to put up a crematorium contracted by the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha. Fr. Sakthivel further said that skeletons and bone fragments of infants, women and girls were unearthed during excavations
Over the past 2-3 decades, several mass graves were unearthed from different parts of the country. These include Sooriyakanda, Hokandara, Wawul Kele, Kottawa Forest Reserve in Galle, state-owned Walpita Farm, Matale Hospital premises, Thiruketheesvaram, Sathosa stores premises in Vavuniya, Kokkuthoduvai in Mullaitivu and the Trincomalee playground
At least 65 bone fragments, skeletons and human remains were unearthed during the Chemmani mass grave excavations that commenced in June this year. Many of these bone fragments were said to be of infants, women and girls who were allegedly killed by the military during the height of the ethnic conflict. In an attempt to demand justice for atrocities committed during the height of the ethnic conflict, and for civilians buried in numerous mass graves around the country, the People’s Power for Justice staged a peaceful protest in Pettah on Thursday (17).
The protesters called on the government to expedite exhumations and to bring about closure to victims. Toys, school bags and clothes unearthed during recent exhumations reveal the harrowing injustice faced by infants and school children during this period. Details regarding the Chemmani mass graves were revealed following a statement given by the main accused of the landmark Krishanthi Kumaraswamy rape and murder case in 1998, minutes before the death sentence was passed on him and nine other convicts.
Speaking to the media during the protest, Fr. M. Sakthivel representing People’s Power for Justice claimed that the JVP regime supported the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga regime at the time and that they didn’t make any attempt to unearth mass graves.
“After the military took control of the Jaffna Peninsula, 18-year old Krishanthi Kumaraswamy was raped, murdered and buried by military personnel in 1996,” said Fr. Sakthivel. Her mother, brother and neighbour who went in search of Krishanthi too were murdered and buried. During a lawsuit, Lance Corporal Somaratne Rajapaksa indicated about the mass graves in Chemmani. He claimed that over 400 youth were subsequently killed. When exhumations commenced, around 15 more skeletons were unearthed.”
In February this year, these mass graves resurfaced when construction workers began the groundwork to put up a crematorium contracted by the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha. Fr. Sakthivel further said that skeletons and bone fragments of infants, women and girls were unearthed during excavations. “We want to know the reasons as to why the military committed such atrocities after they took control over the Jaffna Peninsula and the LTTE was subsequently chased out. Were these infants LTTE supporters? Were they terrorists? Everybody has a right to live on this land. The military has been appointed to protect citizens of a country. But it now looks like the military has committed genocide in the North and East. It was committed in the 1990s, and then another genocide was committed in 2009 in Mullivaikkal. Therefore those from the south has joined hands with victims from the North to support them in their fight for justice.
“Regimes from the South would want to sweep these atrocities under the carpet. They are duty bound to safeguard the military. Successive leaders refrained from exhuming these mass graves. The Matale mass grave is linked to the JVP insurrections but JVP members never appeared on behalf of the victims. They have never spoken about their own brothers who were killed by the military in this manner. So how could we expect the incumbent government to voice for the rights of civilians killed in the North? We like to announce that what happened in Sri Lanka is indeed a genocide. There’s proof of a genocide that happened in Chemmani. Time has come to serve justice to these victims,” he underscored.
Over the past 2-3 decades, several mass graves were unearthed from different parts of the country. These include Sooriyakanda, Hokandara, Wawul Kele, Kottawa Forest Reserve in Galle, state-owned Walpita Farm, Matale Hospital premises, Thiruketheesvaram, Sathosa stores premises in Vavuniya, Kokkuthoduvai in Mullaitivu and the Trincomalee playground. Jaffna Hospital’s Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Pranavan Selliah informed courts that exhumations would recommence on July 21.
