The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court was recently presented with the findings from the ongoing excavation at the Chemmani mass grave site in northern Sri Lanka. On July 15, forensic archaeologist Raj Somadeva, who is leading the exhumation work, submitted the report, according to lawyer Jeganathan Tathparan, who spoke to PTI on Thursday.

Grave of a child uncovered

Tathparan said the remains of a young girl, estimated to be 4 to 5 years old, were discovered at the site. "The child's remains were found alongside school bags and toys," he added.

In addition to the girl’s skeleton, two more skeletons are believed to be children, based on their clothing and bone structures, the lawyer said.

Site linked to civil war violence

The Chemmani site has long been associated with allegations of wartime killings. It first drew international attention in 1998 when a Sri Lankan soldier claimed the area contained mass graves of civilians killed during the mid-1990s conflict between government forces and the separatist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

An initial excavation in 1999 uncovered 15 skeletons, but further investigation stalled for years. The recent excavation was launched earlier this year after human remains were found during a routine development project.

The main Tamil political party, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), has written to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, calling the Chemmani grave "clear evidence of war crimes" and part of "a genocidal campaign against Tamils".

Excavation work, which had been temporarily paused on July 10, is expected to resume on July 21.

Tens of thousands missing

According to Amnesty International, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people have gone missing in Sri Lanka since the late 1980s. Many mass graves have been discovered across the country in recent decades.

The civil war, which lasted 26 years and ended in 2009, caused immense suffering and displacement. While Tamil groups say nearly 170,000 people were killed in the war's final stages, United Nations estimates suggest around 40,000 deaths.

The LTTE had been fighting for an independent Tamil state in the island’s north and east.

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