By Abhita Keerthikumaran | Published 23rd November 2025

The discovery of the Chemmani mass graves marked a turning point for the government of Sri Lanka in consistent denial of the Tamil genocide during the armed conflict. This discovery highlights the failures of a flawed governing body that continues to neglect to bring those responsible to justice, despite immense pressure from international human rights groups and foreign governments.

This article provides a brief overview of the history of the armed conflict, recent developments regarding the exhumation of the Chemmani mass graves, and international response. This is an ongoing investigation. 

What are the Chemmani mass graves?

The Chemmani mass graves are located in Chemmani, Jaffna, in the northern province of Sri Lanka. They first received attention in 1998, after the allegation of their existence by a Sri Lankan army soldier, Somaratne Rajapakse, who was on trial for the rape and murder of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy. He alleged that those who disappeared from Jaffna, after it was retaken by the Sri Lankan government from the LTTE, were killed and buried in mass graves near the village of Chemmani. Rajapakse claimed to know the location of 300 to 400 of the bodies.

Krishanthi Kumaraswamy was a student of Chudukili Girls High School, studying for her A-Levels. Her mother, Rasamma, was a principal. Her older sister, Prashanthi, was studying in Colombo. Her brother, Pranavan, had recently completed his GCSEs, whilst her father passed away in 1984. On 7th September 1996, Krishanthi sat her A-Level Chemistry examination. Afterwards, she began her usual route home. She was last seen alive as she crossed an army checkpoint in Jaffna. A passerby informed her mother that she had been detained while cycling back home. Her mother, brother, and family friend, Kirupakaran, went in search of her. Forty-five days later, the bodies of all four were found in graves within the army base. Her mother and Kirupakaran appeared to have been strangled and Krishanti and her brother’s bodies were dismembered and wrapped in black sheets. Later investigations revealed that she was kidnapped and gang raped by five to ten soldiers who then killed her at the Kaithady checkpoint. Amnesty International launched a campaign to pressure the Sri Lankan government to arrest and prosecute the soldiers. Six soldiers who were directly involved in the rape were sentenced to death. It was in the Supreme Court case, Somaratne Rajapakse Others v Hon. Attorney General (Krishanthi Kumaraswamy Rape Case) that an accused member, Somaratne Rajapakse, informed the state about the alleged Chemmani mass graves.

The internationally observed exhumations uncovered fifteen bodies, two of which were identified as men who had disappeared in 1996. Amnesty International said the exhumation was an important first step towards full accountability for the widespread ‘disappearances’ in the area during that period. They also urged the government to provide compensation to the relatives of the identified victims. It emphasised the need for guaranteed safety of the experts. They also argued that only a sustained, expert-led inquiry across all suspected sites could address the scale of the disappearances. The findings led to charges against seven military officers. The Sri Lankan government then claimed that local and foreign experts came to the unanimous decision that no such mass graves existed as alleged. The body count ran up to two thousand, whilst alleged suspects were released on bail. The investigation remained open seven years later, but no further bodies were found, and as of 2004, the case was still described as pending.

In February 2025, workers preparing to build a crematorium at the Ariyalai Sindhubath burial ground, a public cemetery in Chemmani, came across human remains. They alerted local authorities, and the Jaffna Magistrate promptly ordered a new investigation into the alleged mass graves and supervised the excavation of the site. This cemetery is located near the original location where the bodies were exhumed in 1999. A new excavation quickly uncovered nineteen skeletal remains, three of which belonged to infants. According to Dr. Somadeva, the director of the excavation, the team had only excavated around 40% of the suspected burial area at that time.

Thousands of people have been forcibly ‘disappeared’ from Sri Lanka. This is one of the highest numbers recorded in the world, according to the United Nations. Many Tamil families in Jaffna and across the world have spent decades searching for missing relatives; skeletal remains uncovered in places like Chemmani could potentially match one of those families and provide them with the closure they seek. In the most recent excavation, families of the missing persons have come together to demand transparency in the process, fearing a repeat of earlier mass grave investigations that produced no accountability.

As of now, more than 200 skeletal remains have been identified in the investigation. Among the items identified alongside the bodies was a child’s toy, a baby’s milk bottle, and a blue schoolbag. Chemmani is not an isolated case; it sits alongside other Sri Lankan mass-grave sites, many of which have suffered from the same pattern of initial discovery followed by institutional stasis. How Sri Lanka manages the current investigations, ensuring transparency, adherence to international forensic standards, and meaningful engagement with victims’ families will determine whether Chemmani becomes a turning point for accountability or another forgotten tragedy. 

Editor: Emma Burgess