Unearthing Sri Lanka's Bloody Past: A Blue Schoolbag Found in a Mass Grave

Two skeletons lie entwined on the bare soil, one seemingly shielding the other. Identified only as numbers 177 and 178, their identities remain unknown. These are among 240 human skeletal remains, including children and infants, discovered at a mass gravesite in Chemmani, located in Sri Lankas northern Jaffna district.

A warning sign at the site reads: "This place is a crime scene, no entry." Numbered cards placed beside the bones indicate how many skeletons have been found since excavations began in May 2025, reopening allegations of wartime atrocities.

The region, historically home to Sri Lankas Tamil minority, carries scars from decades of ethnic conflict. From 1983 to 2009, the country endured a civil war between the Sri Lankan army and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), also known as the Tamil Tigers, a group recognized as a terrorist organization by several countries including the U.S. The conflict pitted the majority Sinhalese state against ethnic Tamil rebels seeking a separate homeland in the north and east. Both sides committed severe atrocities, with the UN estimating up to 100,000 deaths and numerous enforced disappearances.

Families of the missing continue to demand justice. Lawyer V S Niranjan, representing relatives in Jaffna, stated, "One day the truth will come."

The Chemmani gravesite was first internationally reported in 1998 when former soldier Lance Cpl. Somaratne Rajapakse confessed that hundreds of Tamils were buried there after the army regained control of Jaffna. Human remains remained hidden until February 2025, when construction workers uncovered skeletons on the grounds of a Hindu cemetery. Court-ordered forensic excavations began in May, initially finding 19 skeletons. Since then, hundreds more have been uncovered.

Items such as a babys milk bottle, a blue schoolbag, bangles, and cloth fragments were found among the remains. Over 90% of the bodies were unclothed and buried haphazardly in shallow graves, indicating likely extrajudicial killings according to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka.

Forensic teams, archaeologists, and crime scene experts meticulously excavated remains, including those of children. Niranjan described the findings as profoundly disturbing, highlighting toys and personal items found with the bodies.

Investigators requested a larger excavation area after ground radar suggested more remains could be buried nearby, but work had not resumed by the end of November 2025. Amnesty International reports up to 100,000 people were forcibly disappeared during the war, with the UN attributing most responsibility to Sri Lankan security forces and affiliated paramilitaries.

The Sri Lankan army referred CNN inquiries to the Ministry of Defense, stating that investigations are managed by law enforcement under judicial oversight. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara emphasized the governments commitment to justice and truth at the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.

Mothers and widows, including Sivapatham Elangkothai, have led protests demanding answers. Elangkothais daughter, son-in-law, and three grandchildren disappeared in 2009. She holds daily vigils and participates in advocacy through the Association for Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Trk visited the site and called for acknowledgment of wartime violations. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged a truth and reconciliation commission and an independent public prosecutor to investigate abuses. Yet, demands for international oversight persist among Tamil families.

Past commissions and the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) have struggled to deliver accountability. Despite having records of over 23,000 cases, the OMP has traced only 23 individuals. Families remain skeptical of domestic processes and advocate for credible, independent investigations.

Mary Ranjini Nirmalanathan, a lifelong resident of Jaffna, recounts losing her husband in 1990 and her eldest son in 2007, leaving her to raise two sons amid constant war trauma. She faces surveillance and harassment while protesting and demanding answers, illustrating the ongoing struggles of victims families.

The discovery of Chemmani mass graves has reopened wounds but also brought hope that the truth will emerge. As Nirmalanathan stated, "Our loved ones couldnt speak up when they were alive, now their bodies are coming out to tell the truth."

Author: Sophia Brooks