ICJ's call for international probe into Chemmani mass grave: A reply

I write in response to the article of the above title that appeared in the Sunday Island on 3rd August 2025. The article appears to be a statement by the ICJ (International Committee of Jurists).

- BY DHARSHAN WEERASEKERA

The article calls on the Sri Lankan government to ensure that the exhumations at the Chemmani site be carried out according to international standards so that there are no questions over the veracity of the findings later. The article also argues that because incidents such as Chemmani raise suspicions regarding government impunity for past crimes, it is essential that international monitoring under the Human Rights Council be continued. For instance, it says:

"Given the longstanding failure of domestic mechanisms to deliver justice, since 2012 the UN Human Rights Council has through multiple resolutions mandated the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor the situation, preserve evidence, and support accountability efforts, particularly through the Sri Lankan Accountability Project under Resolution 46/1. The ICJ considers that the ongoing exhumations at Chemmani render the need for sustained international oversight ever more urgent."

I take strong exception to the attempt above to link the Chemmani issue to an argument advocating the extension of the Sri Lanka Accountability Project, an evidence-gathering mechanism that has been operating from Geneva since 2021. The High Commissioner is scheduled to present a comprehensive report on this mechanism at the UNHCR's upcoming 60th session. As I will explain in a moment, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the mechanism is contrary to the principles, procedures and mandate of the Human Rights Council. If true, then it is illegal. It is vital that members of the public distinguish between arguments designed to advocate for this mechanism, and arguments related to Chemmani.