Jaffna: The European Union has described the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna as a stark reminder that the wounds of Sri Lanka’s past remain unhealed, stressing the need for continued efforts to deliver truth, justice and accountability for affected families.
In a statement posted on its official X account following a visit to the Chemmani mass grave site, the EU delegation said it had met with relatives of the forcibly disappeared and representatives of the affected community, who submitted petitions outlining their longstanding demands for justice.
“The Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna stands as a stark reminder that the scars of Sri Lanka’s past remain unhealed. Affected families continue to search for the truth and fight for justice,” the statement said.
The delegation reaffirmed its support for affected communities in their pursuit of truth, justice and accountability, while emphasising that efforts to address past human rights violations must produce meaningful results.
The Chemmani site has long been associated with allegations that the remains of civilians who disappeared during Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil conflict are buried there. Recent court-supervised excavations, carried out with the participation of forensic experts, have led to the recovery of hundreds of human skeletal remains.
The EU noted that the discovery of skeletal remains believed to include children and civilians, together with clothing, children’s belongings and toys, had deeply shocked the nation and underscored the human cost of the conflict.
During the visit, relatives of the disappeared told the delegation they had spent decades seeking answers about the fate of their loved ones and had lost confidence in domestic mechanisms established to investigate such cases.
The families called for greater international involvement, arguing that meaningful truth, justice and accountability could only be achieved through an independent international inquiry.
After hearing the testimonies of the affected families, the EU delegation pledged its continued support for efforts to promote human rights in Sri Lanka and to advance the search for truth, justice and accountability.
