MATALE MASS GRAVE SECRETS REVEALED

Revelation that Mass Grave in Matale belongs to '89 gruesome era

   When excavations were conducted last November for the bio-gas unit of Matale District Hospital, over 155 human bones were unexpectedly unearthed and it was understood that it was a mystery surrounding a mass murder. Subsequent to a study conducted sometime ago, the Magistrate of Matale yesterday said that the skeletons belonged the 1989 - 90 period.

   It is suspected that it may hint at the killings of several yyouth during the JVP era.

   This conclusion was arrived at after Consultant Judicial Medical Officer Ajit Jayasena and Prof.Raj Somadeva of the Archaelogy Dept. of Kelaniya forwarded the report of investigations in this connection to the Magistrate. After it was informed that the Building Research Institute, Geological Institute and Atomic Energy Institute are still in the process of preparing the reports, it was decided to postpone proceedings till the next hearing. Though it can be roughly identified that these skeletons belong to the 1986-90 period, the Judicial Medical Officer had remarked that an accurate carbon -14 dating should be carried out.

   The initial suspicion as to whom the skeletons belonged to surfaced only when excavations were carried out on 26th November last year. When such excavations were being carried out for the purpose of erecting a bio-gas unit, more and more skeletons began to surface. On later excavations, 155 human skeletons, 81 skulls and 3 metallic rings were found from the site.

   Upto now, police protection was given to this site on suspicion that the findings could relate to some other killings. The Magistrate has now ordered the police out of the site saying that no protection is further necessary, maybe because she assumes that it was a mass killing which had taken place in the '89 gruesome era.

   Further hearing has been fixed for 8th of May.