EU Diplomatic Delegation to Inspect Chemmani Mass Grave Excavation
21-Jul-2026.
A high-level delegation representing the European Union is scheduled to visit Jaffna on July 21, with a key focus on the ongoing excavation of the Chemmani mass grave.
The delegation will be led by EU Ambassador Carmen Moreno and includes French Ambassador Rémi Lambert, Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovitch, Netherlands Ambassador Wiebe de Boer and German Ambassador Felix Neumann.
The visit has once again drawn international attention to issues of human rights, accountability and post-conflict justice in Sri Lanka's Northern Province.
During the visit, the diplomats will inspect the excavation site at Chemmani, located on the outskirts of Jaffna town.
The Chemmani mass grave first came to international attention following the 1998 trial into the rape and murder of schoolgirl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy and the subsequent killing of her mother, brother and a neighbour, who were abducted and murdered by members of the Sri Lankan military. During the trial, testimony by a convicted soldier alleged that hundreds of bodies had been buried in the Chemmani area following the military's recapture of the Jaffna Peninsula in 1996, when large numbers of Tamil civilians reportedly disappeared.
Excavation resumed earlier this year after construction workers discovered human skeletal remains while digging near the cemetery in February.
The excavations are being carried out under the supervision of the Jaffna Magistrate's Court, with the participation of archaeologists, forensic medical experts and representatives of the Jaffna Bar Association.
Following the recovery of 11 additional sets of human remains last Friday, the total number of skeletal remains unearthed at Chemmani has risen to 423. Jewellery and several artefacts recovered during the excavation have also been placed under court custody.
Following their inspection of the site, the EU delegation is scheduled to hold discussions with Northern Province Governor N. Vethanayagan. They will also meet representatives of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce and civil society organisations to assess the prevailing situation in the region.
The delegation is also expected to focus on the plight of families of the disappeared, many of whom have waited for more than three decades for truth and justice. According to the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), more than 6,000 of the over 22,000 registered cases of missing persons originate from the Northern and Eastern Provinces.
The delegation is also expected to visit the historic Nallur Kandaswamy Temple in Jaffna during the course of the visit.
