The Semmani Siddha torture and massacre are an unforgettable episode in that

#copied Approximately 600 civilians have been killed and buried in the Chemmani mass graves. When asked if he had anything to say before being sentenced to death in connection with the murder of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, army officer Somaratne Rajapakse made a statement that exposed the Chemmani massacre. He testified that around 400 to 600 young men and women were killed and buried in the Chemmani area. In his testimony, he also identified 20 army officers including Jayawardena, Thudugala, Udaya Maara, Lalith Hovage, Abdul Nassar Hameed, and Samarasinghe as masterminds behind the killings. Mr. Selvaratnam, who worked at the Jaffna Department of Education, and two youths from Ariyalai — Parthipan and Sudhakaran, as well as several young couples and others, were described as victims of the atrocities. He also stated that he could identify 10 mass grave locations in Chemmani and nearby areas. Another convict, A.M. Perera, reportedly claimed he could identify five more sites. It was said that each grave contained 25 to 30 bodies buried together, with numerous details about the atrocities revealed. Following the testimonies of those convicted in the Krishanthi murder case, the Chemmani mass graves were ordered to be excavated. Judge Mr. Manickavasagar Ilancheliyan was appointed as the special judge of the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court for this purpose. The excavation began on August 15, 1999, and lasted until March 27, 2000 — a period of nine months. The death sentence convicts in the Krishanthi case were flown to Jaffna in a special aircraft and brought to assist in locating the graves. A total of 25 mass graves were dug, and 16 human remains were recovered. However, none of the remains were found in the 10 sites identified by the convicts. Of the recovered remains, two bodies were identified as men who had gone missing in 1996. Following this, seven army soldiers were identified, arrested, and charged. Those arrested testified that people killed at army camps in Chemmani, Ariyalai, and Columbuthurai were the ones buried in Chemmani. All 16 recovered bodies were confirmed through inquests to have died by blunt force trauma (beaten to death). After this, Judge Ilancheliyan handed the case over to the permanent Jaffna Magistrate and concluded his work as the special judge. Six months later, the accused in the Chemmani case stated they had no legal representation and filed a case in the Colombo Appeal Court, which resulted in the case being moved from the Jaffna Court to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. While the case was proceeding in Colombo, within a few months, all seven accused were released on bail by the Colombo High Court. Later, during the so-called “Good Governance” (Yahapalana) government, habeas corpus petitions were filed regarding youths who had been abducted and disappeared by army officers from the Navatkuli Army Camp. In this case, the Attorney General appeared on behalf of Major General Duminda Keppetiwala, who had been in charge of the Navatkuli Army Camp in 1996. Not only that, petitioners, lawyers, and their assistants were threatened inside the courtroom itself. Intelligence officers went to the petitioners’ homes and issued threats as well. In early February this year, during development work at the Hindu cremation ground in Chemmani, human bone fragments were recovered from beneath the soil. Following this, under court orders, an excavation began. So far, 17 partial skulls and 5 complete human skeletons have been identified and exhumed. It is suspected that this could be one of the many secret and illegal mass graves in Chemmani. Meanwhile, it is reported that no security measures were in place around the excavation site and that there is inadequate funding for forensic medical officers and proper excavation procedures. ⸻ Chemmani Is Not Alone Mass graves have been identified in several locations across the North and East, including: • Duraiappah Stadium • Mirusuvil • Mannar • Kokkuthoduvai • Kilinochchi ⸻ If the political leadership of Sri Lanka lacks the will to ensure justice for these atrocities, then justice will never be delivered. Without justice for such genocidal crimes that question the very humanity of our society, and while protecting the perpetrators, no nation can truly move forward. Translation of இனமொன்றின் குரல் ‘s post Photos - Kumanan Related links http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/UA980825/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa37/016/1999/en/ https://lankalaw.net/wp-content/uploads/202