Democratic Tamil National Alliance spokesperson Suresh Premachandran has urged the government to begin DNA analysis of over 500 skeletal remains recovered from the Chemmani mass grave site, arguing that international expertise is necessary given Sri Lanka's limited forensic capacity.
Excavations at the Chemmani site have now surpassed 100 days, with over 500 sets of skeletal remains identified and the majority already exhumed. The location has become the island's largest known mass grave. Despite this significant progress, former MP Suresh Premachandran, speaking as media spokesperson for the Democratic Tamil National Alliance, has questioned whether the government has taken adequate steps to move beyond the excavation phase into formal investigation.
Premachandran specifically highlighted the absence of DNA testing, which he identified as a critical next step. He proposed that DNA samples collected from families of those who disappeared during the conflict could be compared against the recovered remains to establish identities. However, he acknowledged that Sri Lanka currently lacks the technological infrastructure and specialised forensic expertise required for comprehensive DNA analysis at the scale needed.
The opposition figure has called for international assistance in conducting these investigations, arguing that work should be conducted according to internationally recognised standards for forensic examination and legal procedure. He urged civil society organisations, human rights groups, and international bodies to recognise the limitations of conducting such complex work solely within Sri Lanka, and advocated for investigations into already-exhumed remains to commence immediately rather than waiting for all excavation work to conclude.
Legal experts overseeing the site have confirmed that exhumation represents only the initial stage, with extensive forensic work required to determine characteristics such as age, sex, and potential cause of death before DNA identification can proceed.
