August 30, 2025 — Marking the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, large-scale demonstrations were held today in Jaffna, Batticaloa, and several other parts of the North and East. Families of the disappeared, students, political parties, and civil society groups joined together demanding justice.
✦. Jaffna – Protest at Chemmani
In Jaffna, the Association of the Families of the Disappeared organized a march from Kittu Park to the vicinity of the Chemmani mass grave site. Beginning at around 11 a.m., the protest drew participation from university students, social organizations, political parties, and various other groups.
Chemmani stands as a grim symbol of atrocities committed in the North. Recently, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk visited the site, where excavations have revealed hundreds of human remains.
✦. Batticaloa – From Kalladi Bridge to Gandhi Park
In the East, a rally commenced from the Kalladi Bridge in Batticaloa and concluded at Gandhi Park, where demonstrators called for justice for the disappeared. Local civil organizations, student bodies, and political representatives joined in solidarity.
✦.Key Demands of the Protesters
✧. Rejection of domestic mechanisms – Families insisted that Sri Lanka’s internal justice processes are unreliable.
✧. Independent international investigation – They demanded an international judicial inquiry into the Tamil genocide, enforced disappearances, and mass graves.
✧. Accountability for war crimes – Calls were made for international action against state and military officials responsible for atrocities.
✦. Scale and Participation
All major Tamil political parties in the North-East expressed support for these demonstrations. Reports estimate that over 2,500 people directly participated.
Human rights groups, local student unions, and civil society activists amplified the voice of families of the disappeared, who have been fighting for truth and justice for nearly two decades.
✦. International Context
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported last week that families of the disappeared continue to face harassment by police and security forces.
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) stressed the need for international monitoring of excavations at the Chemmani site.
Amnesty International described the denial of justice for the disappeared in Sri Lanka as a “continuing crime against humanity”.
✦. Chemmani as a Historical Symbol
The Chemmani mass graves first came to light in 1998, when a Sri Lankan soldier testified that over 600 people had been killed and buried there by the army. With ongoing excavations uncovering hundreds of human remains, undeniable evidence of war crimes continues to surface.
✦. Conclusion:
Today’s protests once again reminded the world of the unending pain and thirst for justice of the Tamil people in the North-East. For more than 17 years, families have been asking: Where are our loved ones? How did they disappear? Why were they taken?
This day’s demonstrations showed that the Tamil people’s voice is still alive — and it emphasized that without international justice, this voice will never be silenced.
Written by
Eelaththu Nilavan
30/08/2025
