Chemmani Rekindles War Crimes Allegations

Discovery of 19 skeletons, including infants, revives decades-old claims of disappearances and state cover-ups in Sri Lanka’s north.

Unearthed After Decades of Silence

In February 2025, construction workers in Chemmani, northern Sri Lanka, uncovered human remains while digging for a crematorium site. A court-ordered investigation has since recovered 19 skeletons — among them newborns — reigniting memories of alleged wartime mass graves.

A History of Violence and Disappearances

The find is linked to Sri Lanka’s brutal 1983–2009 civil war, which claimed tens of thousands of Tamil lives. Chemmani first drew attention in 1998, when an army corporal convicted of murder alleged the site held bodies of those disappeared in 1996. Earlier probes found 15 skeletons but stalled without accountability.

Scepticism Over Justice

Locals recall other mass graves in Mannar and Kokkuthoduvai where investigations were halted amid cover-up claims. Families of the missing — some searching for loved ones for nearly 30 years — now demand that the Chemmani remains be identified and justice delivered.