A peaceful march demanding justice for mass graves uncovered across the North-East was held on Thursday, 24 July, by the Union of Mass Organisations in Mannar.
The demonstration began at Adampan Junction in the Mannar district and proceeded to the mass grave site in Thiruketheeswaram, Mantai, a location where human remains have been unearthed in recent years.
The procession commenced at 10 a.m. in the Mantai West Divisional Secretariat Division, with protesters carrying placards bearing urgent slogans and messages addressed to both the Sri Lankan state and the international community.
Placards carried by demonstrators included messages such as: “Where are our loved ones?”, “Sri Lanka - Is this a nation or a graveyard?”, “We demand international investigations!”, “Have both humans and justice been buried in these graves?”, and “International community, break your silence!”
Upon arrival at the Thiruketheeswaram mass grave site, a memorial tribute was held in honour of those forcibly disappeared and those whose remains have been recovered. Participants lit flames of remembrance, scattered flowers, and paid silent homage in a moving act of collective mourning and resistance.
The march comes amid growing concern over the recent uncovering of human skeletal remains at multiple suspected mass grave sites, including at Chemmani in Jaffna and Sampur in Trincomalee. Families of the disappeared, human rights organisations, and Tamil civil society groups have long accused the Sri Lankan state of covering up mass atrocities and failing to provide any accountability.
Following the memorial, organisers submitted a petition to Rev. Father Marcus Adikalar, the head of the Mannar Citizens’ Committee, reiterating their demands for truth, justice, and accountability. The petition emphasised the urgent need for an independent international investigation into the mass graves, citing a lack of trust in domestic mechanisms.
Mass graves across the Tamil homeland have been the subject of international scrutiny and concern for decades. Rights groups have consistently demanded the involvement of international forensic experts to preserve evidence and prevent state interference, warning that justice cannot be delivered through the Sri Lankan judicial system alone.
