News
Chemmani mass grave excavation to resume on 20 April
The Jaffna Magistrate’s Court has directed that the third phase of excavation at the Chemmani mass grave commence on 20 April.
The case was taken up for hearing last week before Magistrate S. Lenin Kumar, who issued a series of directives aimed at preparing the site for renewed excavation work.
The court instructed the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha to clean up the site, under the direct supervision of the Judicial Medical Officer, to ensure proper conditions for forensic examination, as the investigation progresses.
It was also noted that temporary structures, previously set up for workers and storage at the site, had been damaged by Cyclone Ditwah and subsequent monsoon rains in Jaffna. The court ordered that they be removed and replaced with new shelters. The Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha was further directed to provide the necessary furniture and make logistical arrangements, as had been done during earlier excavation phases.
Following the hearing, Magistrate Lenin Kumar, Judicial Medical Officer S. Pranavan, lawyers including Niranjan and Ranitha, and officials from the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha, visited the site. During the inspection, it was observed that the burial pit was full of water.
The court, accordingly, set out a timeline for preparatory work. Water is to be drained on 28 March, under the supervision of the Judicial Medical Officer. The case will next be taken up on 08 April, with the third phase of excavation scheduled to begin on 20 April.
The Chemmani site first came to international attention after testimony by a soldier who had raped and killed a Tamil schoolgirl, revealed that hundreds of Tamil civilians had been buried in mass graves in the Chemmani area.
Initial excavations carried out in the late 1990s led to the recovery of a limited number of skeletal remains, but calls for a comprehensive investigation continued for decades, led by families of the disappeared and human rights advocates.
Excavation work resumed in recent years, following renewed legal proceedings, after more bodies were uncovered. Over the past year, multiple phases of excavation have been carried out, with more than 200 bodies, including that of infants, excavated so far.
The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.
Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.
The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses
will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”
In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125
News
Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.
The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.
A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.
Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.
The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.
The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.
The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.
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Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area
Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.
Sri Lankan troops in joint anti-terrorist exercise in Russia
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