SRI LANKA: The neglect of mass graves

152 skeletons recovered from the Matale Mass Grave

A mass grave has been found at Thiruketiswaram, Mannar in January 2014. In 2013 a mass grave was also found at Matale and the investigations are still at early stages regarding the body parts found in this grave. The general condition prevailing, relating to both of these mass graves is that the investigations are not being conducted in terms of modern forensic methodologies which are essential for the proper preservation of the findings as well as the prevention of the destruction of the materials found in the mass graves in the course of excavation. Both at Mannar and Matale the mass graves were dug with bulldozers and naturally such manner of excavation is not conducive to proper handling of the human material remains that are found in such graves.

Matale Mass grave findings to China for Carbon dating

Samples of human skeletal remains unearthed from a Matale mass grave would be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department to be sent to laboratories at the Institute of Archaeology, Beijing, China for radiocarbon dating, Judicial Medical Officer of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital Dr. Ajith Jayasena said yesterday.

Matale Mass Grave: JVP disappointed over delay

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), said they are losing confidence in the legal process, in view of the manner in which the proceedings of the Matale mass grave issue is being conducted in Court, and alleged the legal system is dragging its feet in meting out justice to the hundreds of nameless victims whose skeletal remains were found in the mass grave.Former Provincial Council member of the JVP, Gamagedera Dissanayake, said the JVP is disappointed in the delay in delivering justice to the victims.

CID ignores Court order on Matale Mass Grave

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), has for over six weeks, ignored an order issued by the Matale Magistrate's Court to conduct radio carbon testing on the skeletal remains discovered in the backyard of the Matale Hospital, a source familiar with the investigation said. The Magistrate ordered the skeletal remains be sent overseas for radio carbon testing in order to identify the nameless victims.

Presidential Commission of Inquiry to begin sittings within next fortnight

Still a mystery:
The Matale mass grave unearthed
last year

BASL, JVP voice concern over transfer of Matale Magistrate who was hearing the case
The Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe the Matale mass graves, will begin sittings within the next two weeks, Commission head, retired Supreme Court Judge Justice S.I. Imam said.

The three-member Commission of Inquiry appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, has been asked to submit a report within six months. Its other members are ex- Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Kithulgoda and retired High Court Judge Bandula Atapattu.

Presiding judge of the judicial inquiry into the Matale mass grave suddenly transferd

Matale mass grave

Crisis in the Judiciary? 
A major judicial crisis is brewing, consequent to the sudden transfer of the Magistrate for Matale, Chathurika de Silva. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), yesterday expressed displeasure over the sudden transfer of the presiding judge of the judicial inquiry into the Matale mass grave, Magistrate Chaturika de Silva, from Matale.

President appoint a Commission on Matale grave

President Mahinda Rajapaksa today announced the appointment of a special commission to investigate the Matale mass grave. President’s secretary Lalith Weeratunga said that the commission will be led by former Justice S.I. Imam, Retired High Court Judge Bandula Atapattu and former Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Kitulgoda. Weeratunga told media heads at a breakfast meeting that the commission has been asked to investigate all angles into the mass grave.

Matale mass grave: CID ignores Court order

Despite the Court order to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to advertise in the media, calling on people to come forward to give evidence with regard to those who are missing in the period of the JVP insurrection in 1988-89, the advertisement had not been published in any media, to date.

JMO in charge of Matale mass grave also to be transferred

Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Ajith Jayasena of Matale District Hospital who was in charge of the scientific examination of the skeletons found in Matale mass grave has been transferred to Kurunegala General Hospital with immediate effect.

He is to commence his duties at Kurunegala Hospital starting from today (20).

Court orders full probe on mass grave

The Matale Magistrate today ordered a full investigation on the Matale mass grave and instructed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to submit a comprehensive report to court by the end of this month.
The Magistrate also ordered the CID to record statements from 13 petitioners in the Matale mass grave who had claimed that their relatives were believed to have been buried at the site.

Magistrates Court accepts 13 petitions for Matale mass grave

A mother who gave a affidavit speaking to media

13 petitioners presented affidavits when the hearing regarding the Matale mass grave was heard in Matale magistrates court today (8th). They asked through affidavits to carry out a test regarding the skeletal remains unearthed from Matale mass graves as they suspect the skeletal remains could be their relatives who disappeared during the 88 – 89 period.  

SRI LANKA: Whose remains are in the mass grave at Matale

A skeleton at the Mass grave 

The publically known facts about the mass grave at Matale is that the remains of 154 persons were discovered in this grave, that the remains show injuries which indicate that they were all murdered and that most likely they were assassinated sometime between 1986 and 1991.

Matale Mass Grave: Skeletons in the closet

N.Sumanthiran, M.P.
The discovery of the skeletal remains of what is reported to be more than a hundred people has dominated the press for some time. It is now clear that the mass graves were of victims of summary executions during the second Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) insurrection. It is also clear that the appointment of a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to probe these crimes – which are demonstrable crimes against humanity – is to protect those responsible for these crimes to begin with.

Matale mass grave: No 'humbug' commissions, what is needed is a special court – JVP

President's humbug commission would not be allowed to conceal mass murders at Matale, despite various commissions have been appointed, people have not heard of any reports of those commissions nor anyone punished for their crimes and the party would never believe justice would be done by such commissions that have been cast to the garbage of history states the JVP. 

Murdered then tossed into a mass grave: Sri Lanka unearths 150 decades-old skeletons and promises to uncover the truth

• President appoints commission to seek answers to grisly find
• The bodies date back to a Marxist uprising in the 1980s
• Presidential commission will run alongside ongoing police investigation

Sri Lanka :Is this presidential commission on Matale mass grave worth its salt?

True to Sri Lankan style, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to appoint a 'presidential commission' to conduct an inquiry into the Matale mass grave.The mandate of the proposed commission is to be finalized in two days, Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake, said, confiding to our correspondent that he too is awaiting further instruction with regard to the latest presidential decision. Indications are that the decision to appoint a commission was made in a hurry, in an apparent move to wade off an international scrutiny on the issue which could even risk an international tribunal on the matter, such as the one on the Rwandan Genocide or on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Attempts to frame Gota over Matale

Attempts are being made to frame Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over the human skeletal remains found at Matale, Director of the Media Center for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle said.
Hulugalle said that the sudden interest of opposition political parties in the Matale mass grave is with an ulterior motive.

He said that the Defence Secretary was the coordinating officer in Matale during the time the people were said to have been buried in the mass grave.

Kamalawathi’s search for missing sons; Will Gotabhaya answer?

Missions sons: will Gotabhaya answer?

A grieving mother of two teenage sons who were abducted by the Army in 1989, narrates how she was stopped and sent back when she went to meet then Military Coordinating Officer (MCO) for Matale, Lt. Col. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

By Ranga Jayasuriya
The two teenage sons of K.G. Kamalawathi were snatched by the soldiers who arrived at her residence during a notorious ‘military round up’ of local youth on 13 December 1989. The two teenagers, Susantha Janaka (18) and Rohana Nishantha (17), were GCE Advanced Level students at Science College and Vijaya Vidyalaya, Matale.

Minister Wimal Weerawansa calls on UN to probe on human skeletons in Matale

Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities Minister Wimal Weerawansa said that a full-scale investigation should be conducted on the human skeletons found in a mass grave at Matale which have been identified as those disappeared during the 1988-1989 insurrection.
 
The UN says that the Government should conduct credible investigations on the alleged human rights violations. Why can't the UNHRC conduct a similar credible investigation on the mass grave at Matale, the Minister told the Sunday Observer.

Matale Mass Grave: All extra-judicial killings of all eras should be probed transparently – Sajith

Sajith Premadasa, MP

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Defence Minister, who should initiate such a probe– Nimal

The Government has not as yet decided to probe the Matale mass graves and the matter had not been even taken up at Cabinet level, a frontline government Minister said yesterday.

This follows the discovery of 154 skeletal remains in the Matale hospital grounds by digging the ground to set up a bio-gas plant in November last year. Radio carbon dating had revealed that the mass grave belonged to the 1987-1990 era, which was during the UNP governments led by Presidents J. R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa.