Remembering Krishanthi and the return of Chemmani

BY RAJAN PHILIPS

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In the universe of human rights, Sri Lanka has become notable for two dubious records.

For disappearances of people stretching over several decades, Sri Lanka is in the top tier of countries. It is easily a world leader when it comes to commissions of inquiry that successive governments have appointed to investigate various instances of human rights violations, including commissions that are appointed to summarize the work of preceding commissions. Nothing conclusive has flowed out of these commissions and there have not been any significant breakthroughs in knowing about the circumstances and plights of the disappeared.

The recent revelations in Chemmani, Jaffna, have brought into relief another related source of distress, namely, the mass graves that are scattered across the country and rarely get official attention unless they are accidentally disturbed. The Chemmani mass grave was the first to create national and international concern and itself came to light during the trial of Lance Corporal Somaratna Rajapaksa and three others for the 1996 gang rape and murder of 18-year-old A'Level student Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, and the murder of her school principal mother, brother and their family neighbour.

This was in 1996, when the young girl was stopped at an army checkpoint near their home in Kaithady, while returning from school after her A’Level Chemistry exam. The other three went to the checkpoint to inquire and were killed as well. Following a public outcry, the perpetrators of the crimes and accomplices in disposing of the bodies of the victims were arrested and indicted. Eight soldiers including Rajapaksa and one policeman were put on trial at the Colombo High Court on 18 November 1996, and all nine were found guilty on 3 July 1998. Six of the accused, including Somaratne Rajapaksa, were sentenced to death and the remaining three were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. That was not the end of it.

Chemmani Mass Graves