Finnish MPs Call for International Independent Investigation into Chemmani Mass Grave
15-Oct-2026.
Finnish Members of Parliament Inka Hopsu and Eva Biaudet have called for an independent international investigation into the Chemmani mass grave in Sri Lanka.
Their demand was made in a written parliamentary question submitted to the Finnish Parliament following a visit to Finland by Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, who met Sri Lankan expatriates there on October 14.
According to information from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), more than 580 bodies had been recovered from the Chemmani mass grave by mid-August, the MPs stated in their parliamentary question.
The recovered remains include those of children. Items such as schoolbags and children’s feeding bottles have also been found at the site, they noted.
Tens of thousands of Tamils went missing during the conflict. There have also been reports of widespread war crimes, torture and the killing of civilians. Despite the seriousness of these allegations, investigations have progressed very slowly, the MPs observed.
Excavations at the Chemmani site were suspended towards the end of last year for seven months because of rainfall and resource constraints. The excavation work resumed in April after international monitoring was permitted.
A draft report issued by the OHCHR in September urged Sri Lanka to seek international forensic and technical assistance.
The MPs also highlighted the human cost of the delays, noting that elderly parents, husbands and wives of missing persons continue to die without learning the fate of their loved ones.
Human rights organisations have stressed the need for independent mechanisms to collect and analyse genetic samples. The withdrawal of international funding has also weakened local documentation efforts.
Families interviewed by Human Rights Watch continue to demand justice and international investigations, the parliamentary question stated.
Finland and Sri Lanka established a political consultation mechanism in February. The MPs said that this mechanism strengthened Finland’s capacity to pursue a foreign policy based on human rights and to exert pressure on the Sri Lankan Government.
Against this background, they posed the following questions to the Finnish Government:
How is Finland promoting an independent investigation into the Chemmani mass grave and other mass graves in accordance with international standards?
Has this issue been raised during political consultations between Finland and Sri Lanka?
Is Finland prepared to provide or finance forensic and technical expertise, either bilaterally or through the European Union or the United Nations? If so, how would such assistance be implemented?
