Opposition politician S. Shritharan has accused Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara of applying inconsistent standards in recognising mass killings, following excavations at a Jaffna burial site that has yielded over 550 skeletal remains.
Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) MP S. Shritharan has criticised the Justice Minister for what he characterises as selective acknowledgement of mass atrocities in Sri Lanka. After visiting the Chemmani mass grave site in Jaffna, Shritharan objected to the Minister's reference to the Sooriyande massacre in the South while allegedly downplaying the significance of the Chemmani discovery. The MP disputed the government narrative attributing the remains to clashes between militant groups, arguing that such an explanation was inconsistent with documented patterns of disappearances in the region.
Shritharan cited statistics indicating that over 1,000 individuals either disappeared or were killed in Jaffna between 1995 and 2001. He referenced testimony from former Army officer Somaratne Rajapaksa in the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy murder case, who has previously identified alleged mass burial locations. The MP urged authorities to conduct excavations at sites Rajapaksa has indicated to establish facts about the disappearances.
Excavation work at Chemmani has recovered 552 skeletal remains across 105 days of operations. However, Shritharan expressed concern about the investigation's pace and funding constraints, noting that work was expected to be suspended due to insufficient resources. He called for international involvement, requesting that overseas experts participate in both excavation and investigation processes. Shritharan appealed to the European Union, Canada, the United States, and international human rights organisations to provide financial support to enable comprehensive investigation of the site.
