Construction workers in Colombo who were at a site near the Old Secretariat in Colombo - Fort discovered human skeletal remains last week.
The workers who are attached to a private construction firm said the remains were found nearly 6 feet underground.
Following the discovery of the skeletal remains, the construction activities had been suspended and the Sri Lankan Police had been informed. The location has been provided with police protection, while a magisterial inquiry has been scheduled. The Colombo Harbour Police are said to be conducting investigations into the findings.
The Morning reports that a Sri Lankan naval base is approximately 300 metres away from the location.
This is not the furst such grisly finding in the southern Sri Lankan capital. The Shangri-La green grounds in Colombo. housed a reported mass grave, after skeletal remains were uncovered during the construction of the hotel in 2017.The site had apparently been used by the British as a cemetery and until 2012, was also the headquarters of Sri Lanka’s Army.
Reports by the local press and NGOs suggest that there are at least 32 mass graves in Sri Lanka and no conclusive evidence has been brought to any. A recent report titled ‘Mass graves in Sri Lanka: History and Legal Framework’ by Sophie Bisping, reveals the discovery of 32 mass grave sites between 1992 and 2022.
