UK Ambassador Rita French sharply criticised Sri Lanka’s failure to deliver on promises of accountability and reconciliation whilst also noting ongoing intimidation and harassment of civil society actors and journalists.

Her statement was a joint statement by the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising of Canada, N Macedonia, Malawi, Montenegro, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

On September 11th, as the excavation and exhumation entered its fifth day, the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave site witnessed new restrictions imposed on journalists, sparking concerns about transparency and potential cover-ups surrounding the ongoing investigation.

The third day of excavation at the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave, conducted on September 8th, took a distressing turn when police officers at the site were observed harassing media personnel, Balanathan Sathees and Vijayaratnam Saravanan, in an apparent attempt to intimidate them.

The third day of excavation at the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave was marked by significant developments last Friday. Archaeologist Paramu Pushparatnam from the Department of Archaeology to the excavation team joined the team of archeologists working on the mass grave.

The 27th anniversary of the gang rape and murder of Krishanthi, along with the subsequent murder and cover-up of her mother Rasamma, her younger brother Pranavan, and their neighbour Kirupakaran, was commemorated in Chemmani.

A significant development emerged at the conclusion of the second day of excavation at the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave site. The Mullaitivu Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) revealed the discovery of pieces of metal, currently suspected to be remnants of weapons, alongside skeletal remains during the excavation conducted on September 7th.

In a press conference held at his home in Kalviyankadu, Jaffna, Sutharalingam Arunakirinathar revealed the 17-year journey of searching for his son, who was taken into custody by the Sri Lanka Army. Despite compelling evidence from two separate media reports indicating his son's presence in prison, Arunakirinathar has not only been denied access to his son but also witnessed his effective disappearance from all prison records.

In a press conference held during the ongoing excavation at the Kokkuthoduvai mass grave site on September 6th, T. Raviharan voiced his scepticism regarding the credibility of the excavation and exhumation process. He emphasised the need for oversight by international entities, including the United Nations, to ensure that the investigation into the origins of this mass grave follows established protocols.

Earlier this week, Channel 4 aired a documentary in which high placed whistle blowers exposed high Sri Lankan government officials, including the Rajapaksa family, as being the masterminds behind the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019. Following the British documentary carried out by Dispatches, Sri Lankan junior defence minister, Pramitha Tennakoon announced that a parliamentary committee would be appointed to investigate the allegations made in the British documentary.

Marc-André Franche, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, conducted a visit to Jaffna, where he engaged with various authorities, civil society organisations, and stakeholders to discuss pressing issues affecting the region.