• Relatives of disappeared call for international justice

Families of the forcibly disappeared in the North and East have rejected the interim report submitted to court on the excavations at the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna and called for an international justice process.

The families have also announced a protest at Chemmani on 17 November.

The decision to organise the protest was taken at a coordination meeting held in Jaffna, where participants unanimously called for the complete rejection of the interim report on the Chemmani excavations.

The meeting was held yesterday (8) at the Sivaguru Adheenam in Nallur and was organised by the Association of Relatives of the Forcibly Disappeared in the North and East.

Participants discussed the findings and limitations of the interim report and stressed the need for an independent international justice process to establish accountability for those responsible for enforced disappearances and alleged mass killings.

The organisers said the protest on 17 November would call for international intervention and a credible accountability mechanism in relation to the human remains recovered from Chemmani.

The third interim report, prepared by University of Kelaniya Professor Raj Somadeva and archaeologist Anusha Wanninayake, was submitted to the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court on 19 October following approximately 80 days of excavation.

The report recorded a minimum of 574 individuals, with children accounting for approximately 41% of the remains and infants representing 22%. It also documented 51 accumulations of disarticulated bones and 170 artefact entries, including coins, jewellery and other personal belongings.