Urgent Appeal for a Transparent and Independent Investigation into the Chemmani-Sindhubathi Mass Grave
June 20, 2025
His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Urgent Appeal for a Transparent and Independent Investigation into the Chemmani-Sindhubathi Mass Grave
Dear President,
The Canadian Tamil Congress writes to you with grave concern and a deep sense of sorrow over the recent discovery of a mass grave in the Chemmani-Sindhubathi area in the Northern Province. The unearthing of human remains reportedly including those of children has once again shaken the Tamil community, both in Sri Lanka and abroad. This tragic discovery is not an isolated incident but echoes the painful legacy of decades of disappearances, state violence, and unacknowledged suffering that Tamil families have been forced to endure without answers or accountability.
The Chemmani area has haunted the collective conscience of Tamils for more than twenty-five years. It is a site long linked to credible testimonies alleging mass killings and secret burials. Yet, despite its notoriety, only a fraction of the land was ever excavated, and the process was quickly halted without explanation. The pattern of incomplete or obscured investigations in previous mass grave sites such as those in Mannar, Kokkuthoduvai, and Thiruketheeswaram has deeply eroded public confidence. This latest discovery risks becoming yet another missed opportunity for truth, unless immediate and meaningful steps are taken to ensure justice.
As an organization committed to human rights and justice, we urge your administration to treat this moment with the seriousness it demands. We strongly urge your office to adopt a transparent and comprehensive exhumation framework, including clear timelines, methodology, and public reporting, Invite independent international forensic and human rights experts to be part of the excavation and analysis, Ensure the active participation of the families of the disappeared, including their right to legal representation throughout the process, And allocate adequate resources and protection to those working on the site, to prevent interference or manipulation of evidence.
These steps are not just a matter of good governance; they are an essential obligation under international human rights law, particularly as Sri Lanka is a signatory to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
The discovery of the Chemmani-Sindhubathi grave is a test of your government’s commitment to truth and justice. For many Tamil families, this is not just about bones in the ground it is about mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who vanished without a trace. They deserve to know what happened. They deserve a process that treats their pain with dignity and respect. And they deserve a government that will not hide the truth but confront it, no matter how difficult it may be.
The eyes of the world are on Chemmani once again. This is a test of your leadership and your government’s commitment to real accountability. We urge you to act now not with promises, but with action that brings long-awaited answers and justice.
Sincerely,
Danton Thurairajah
Executive Director
Canadian Tamil Congress