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Tamil protestors in Jaffna last month.
The UK government said it is “deeply concerned by the recent discovery of the mass grave in Chemmani,” following a written parliamentary question from Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Sammy Wilson, as yet another lawmaker raised the issue in Westminster.
In response, Catherine West, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to accountability for human rights violations in Sri Lanka, particularly in relation to enforced disappearances.
“The UK Government is deeply concerned by the recent discovery of the mass grave in Chemmani,” West stated. “We remain committed to supporting accountability for human rights violations and we regularly meet the Government of Sri Lanka to discuss reconciliation and accountability and to press for tangible progress, particularly on cases of enforced disappearances.”
Wilson is the fourth lawmaker to raise the issue in recent weeks.
In a letter sent on 17 June 2025, Uma Kumaran described the find as “a truly shocking reminder of how fresh these atrocities are”, and urged the UK government to provide support for an independent and credible investigation into the site.
Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the International Development Committee, had asked what representations the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) had made in support of an “independent UN investigation into the Chemmani site”, including provisions for exhumations, forensic analysis, and victim-centred consultations.
Dame Siobhain McDonagh, MP for Mitcham and Morden, also called on the UK government to lead on an international investigation.
Last week, British Tamils also staged a protest outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, calling for international justice for the victims buried in the Chemmani mass grave and demanding that the ongoing excavations be conducted under international supervision.
The Chemmani mass grave first came to international attention in 1998, when a Sri Lankan soldier revealed that hundreds of Tamils had been buried in secret graves during the military’s occupation of Jaffna. Since May 2025, excavations have resumed at the site, with 40 skeletal remains uncovered so far, including those of children, along with personal effects such as a schoolbag and toy.
