Jaffna Mass Grave: A Test for the Dissanayake Government

• A mass grave site in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, is a test for the Anura Kumara Dissanayake government’s pledge to address Tamil people’s grievances.

• The site was discovered by accident in February this year when workers were readying land for a Hindu crematorium in Chemmani.

• The Jaffna Magistrate Court ordered excavation and further investigation.

• A team of experts, including a senior archaeologist, students from the University of Jaffna, and Judicial Medical Officers, has been excavating the site, which is now protected with restricted access.

• About 65 skeletons, including some believed to be children, have been found so far, at times with what appeared to be school bags and other personal belongings.

• The growing count is agonizing for locals, especially families of disappeared persons, who have been chasing the truth about their missing loved ones for years.

• The government has a bigger responsibility in fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil-speaking people, as stated by Sri Lanka’s Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara.

• The investigation of mass graves is a complex exercise, requiring destruction of the site to recover the skeletons and collecting as much information as possible from the location.

• Technical expertise is also critical, with the community, including families, activists, and lawyers, now more aware of the strategies, systems, legal process, challenges, and diverse approaches in the excavation at tracing of mass grave sites.

• Minister Nanayakkara emphasizes the need for dignity of families, recognition as a special category of victims, and some form of social protection to support their lives.