• GoSL says while same may be required to examine skeletal remains or for advanced forensic tests, no other int’l intervention required as it supports ongoing process   

The Government stated that although it may need to seek technical assistance from international experts to examine skeletal remains discovered at mass graves such as Chemmani, there will be no need for any other form of international intervention, as it fully supports the ongoing investigation process.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Minister of National Integration Muneer Mulaffer said that while there has long been a call from some groups in the north for international involvement in such investigations, the Government, he insisted, has not obstructed any part of the current probes.

“There is already space for a fair investigation. If we need international technical help, say for identifying skeletal remains or conducting advanced forensic testing, that’s something that we can discuss. But, apart from that, there’s no need for another type of intervention, because we are giving our full support,” he added.

His remarks follow renewed calls for international oversight after more than 100 skeletal remains were found at the Chemmani mass grave site. The Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani Leader, President’s Counsel and former Northern Chief Minister and Supreme Court Justice, C.V. Wigneswaran recently called for an international oversight mechanism, claiming that there is a breakdown of public trust in the local authorities.

Last week, the International Commission of Jurists also called for international oversight of the Chemmani excavation, describing a victim-centred process as an important first step toward truth and accountability. It urged the Government to ensure that all investigative and exhumation efforts align with international human rights standards, including the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death.

The Chemmani site is one of several known mass graves in Sri Lanka linked to alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, particularly during the civil conflict. Discovered in the late 1990s, Chemmani came into focus again this year after excavation teams uncovered over 100 skeletal remains. Other sites, including those in Mannar, Matale, and Sathurukondan, have similarly revealed mass graves over the years, but few have led to successful prosecutions.