Action urged over Chemmani graves

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 December 1998, 19:13 GMT]
The Vanni Citizen's Committee has urged the UN Commission for Human Rights to intervene in the affair of the Chemmani mass graves and to bring pressure to bear on the Sri Lankan government to take appropriate action against those responsible for the killings of those buried in the graves.

The Committee has sent a lengthy memorandum on the matter to the Commission. The letter states that, although international agencies had come forward to assist in the exhumation of the graves, the government has ignored them.

The memorandum points out that there are more mass graves in the Vasaavilaan and Punnaalaikadduvan areas of the peninsula, near the SLA military complex at Palaly and that there is suspicion that there may be more mass graves in the eastern province as well.

The memorandum urges the UN Commission for Human Rights to urge the Sri Lankan government to launch an investigation into the large number of missing civilians in Jaffna and about the allegations of mass disappearances by the army.

The Citizen's Committee pointed out that the residents of Kopay near the Chemmani mass graves have said that they had seen movements of vehicles and lights during the nights in Chemmani area and have complained to the authorities that they had smelt the burning of human remains.

The memorandum accuses that the Sri Lankan government of supporting the SLA who are engaged in criminal offences against innocent Tamil civilians.