Excavation work at the Mannar mass grave resumed this week, with researchers extracting materials and working around the burial site, despite the prohibition of any photography or video recordings of the ongoing excavations.
Lawyers representing the families of the victims have also refrained from speaking to the media or providing any sound bites about the progress of the work. The reason behind this media blackout has not been disclosed.
The Mannar mass grav ehas faced significant delays in court proceedings after reports submitted by the Judicial Medical Officer Dr. Saminda Rajapaksha were found to be incomplete. Lawyers representing the victims’ families criticized the reports for missing crucial details, such as the cause of death and the ages of the deceased. They further demanded that reports from other expert witnesses, including Professor Raj Somadeva, be presented during the next hearing.
Discovered in May 2019 during construction work near the local supermarket Sathosa, located by the A14 highway, the grave contained 318 bodies, including those of 18 children. The excavation was carried out under the supervision of the Office of Missing Persons, serving as an independent observer throughout the process.
In a report by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) concerning mass graves and failed exhumations, it was revealed that metal bindings, likely used to tie victims’ legs together, were among the objects recovered from the site.
Skeletal remains were sent to Beta Analytics Inc. in Florida, USA, for carbon dating analysis, which estimated the grave to be from between 1477 and 1719. This conclusion sharply contrasted with the opinions of investigators involved in the excavation, who believe the grave could not be more than 30 years old.
The case remains sensitive, and the lack of transparency surrounding the investigation raises concerns about the continued pursuit of justice for the victims buried at the Mannar mass grave.
