Chemmani and beyond

IN recent weeks, renewed attention has been drawn to the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna. First discovered in the late 1990s, Chemmani remains one of the country’s most emblematic—and most tragic—symbols of mass atrocity and impunity.

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The site is believed to contain the remains of Tamil civilians who disappeared in the late 1990s, allegedly killed by State forces.

The resurfacing of public interest in Chemmani is a welcome development. Yet, it must not end there. It should serve as a catalyst for deeper reflection and decisive action on the broader, more disturbing reality: Sri Lanka is a land scattered with mass graves, each one a silent testament to the State’s brutal history of extrajudicial killings.