• Court direction needed to seek foreign assistance, says Chair

With recommendations from the Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urging Sri Lanka to seek international forensic and technical assistance for ongoing mass grave exhumations, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has said that it is considering seeking such external support. 

When contacted by The Sunday Morning, OMP Chairman Mahesh Katulanda said that although it was being considered, no dialogue or concrete steps towards involving foreign technical experts had been made at this stage. According to him, the process remains strictly limited under judicial directions.

“We are only sampling now,” he said. Katulanda said that all exhumed materials were currently being processed locally through the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court.

Addressing the UN recommendation specifically regarding the adoption of international frameworks such as the Minnesota Protocol, he also said that, despite the consideration, there were no discussions in motion to consult external experts from countries with advanced forensic infrastructure at present.

The Chairman further noted that specialised testing was generally conducted in foreign jurisdictions, referencing facilities in Switzerland, Japan, or US states like Florida and Texas. Katulanda emphasised that the OMP could not proactively seek or initiate foreign assistance without explicit instructions from the Judiciary.

“Everything has to be followed step by step. We are awaiting the court’s directions,” he stated.

In its latest assessment on the situation of human rights in Sri Lanka, the UN Human Rights Office states that exhumations at the Chemmani-Siththupaththi mass grave site in Jaffna have yielded skeletal remains corresponding to more than 400 individuals (including children) as of late July.

Following a seven-month hiatus due to seasonal rains and funding constraints, the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court ordered the resumption of digging at the Chemmani site in April, permitting diplomatic observers to monitor proceedings. 

The report reads: “While welcome, the office urges the Government to build on this progress by seeking international forensic and technical support to ensure exhumations meet international standards, including the Minnesota Protocol, and that they are accompanied by impartial criminal investigations, including into possible command responsibility.”