Protest demanding justice for victims of the Chemmani mass grave in Sri Lanka

The Yukthiya Udesa Janatha Balaya Movement is staging a protest in front of Fort Railway Station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 17, 2025. The movement is demanding justice for victims of the Chemmani mass grave. The Chemmani mass graves refer to a series of burial sites near the village of Chemmani in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, where victims of enforced disappearances during the civil war are believed to be buried. In 1998, Sri Lankan security forces involved in the disappearance, convicted for the rape and murder of Tamil schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, claimed that 300–400 bodies of Tamil civilians are buried in Chemmani after the military recaptured Jaffna in 1995–1996. Under international observation, excavations began in June 1999, and 15 bodies are exhumed, including individuals who had disappeared. Some skeletons are showing signs of assault and execution. Recent excavations in June 2025 are uncovering 19 skeletons, including three infants, alongside personal artifacts such as schoolbags and dolls. Less than 40% of the site is excavated, with another site identified via satellite. Families of the disappeared and human rights groups are continuing to demand international oversight, as past investigations have faced delays and political interference. Chemmani remains a symbol of unresolved trauma and the quest for truth. The dig, paused on July 10 for documentation and preservation, is scheduled to resume on July 21.