Justice and National Integration Minister Harshana Nanayakkara says excavation work at the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna is progressing successfully, with the necessary financial allocations already made to ensure the completion of the process.
The Minister made these remarks during an inspection visit to the ongoing excavations at the Ariyalai Siththupathy Chemmani mass grave site today.
Emphasizing the importance of the investigation, Nanayakkara stated that the excavation work should be completed as swiftly as possible to help ensure justice for affected families and communities.
The excavations are being conducted under the leadership of Senior Professor Raj Somadeva, with the involvement of archaeology students, forensic specialists, medical professionals, and other experts.
Following the site visit, the Minister addressed the media and responded to questions regarding the progress of the excavations and broader investigations into missing persons.
Representatives of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), including Chairman Mahesh Katulanda, were present during the inspection. Also attending were former Colombo Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Ajith Tennakoon, Jaffna District Members of Parliament K. Ilankumaran and Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy, legal representatives, and officials from the Ministry of Justice and National Integration.
The Chemmani excavation has attracted significant public attention due to the discovery of a large number of skeletal remains and its potential relevance to long-standing investigations into disappearances during Sri Lanka’s conflict period. Authorities have stated that the forensic and archaeological examination process will continue under judicial supervision.