Sri Lanka Port mass grave probe stalled due to lack of funding

The excavation of the mass grave discovered in a high-security zone in Colombo during former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure has come to a halt immediately after the third phase of excavations began, as the current government has failed to provide adequate funding.

Journalists who visited the mass grave site during the commencement of the third phase had observed that the human remains that had already been unearthed were submerged in muddy water. This was, in a context where the second phase of excavations had also been halted for nearly four months.

Last July (2024), excavation activities of the first mass grave found in a high-security zone in the country’s capital commenced. These activities, which had been temporarily halted during the second phase, resumed for the third time on 27 January, 2025. This was after four months.

By then, at least three human skeletal remains had been found from the Colombo Port mass grave. On 30 January, 2025, three more skeletal remains had been found from a newly-dug pit in the area adjacent to the mass grave, while skeletal remains belonging to more than one person had been unearthed by 31 January, 2025.

Speaking to journalists about the fact that excavations had come to a halt, senior professor in archeology Raj Somadeva, who is also in-charge of the excavation of the mass grave, had stated that if funding is not received within the next few days, the mass grave may even have to be closed.

Although a tent has been provided since 30 January, 2025 to ensure that the mass grave is safe from sunlight and rain, journalists who visited the site observed that it had not been set up properly.

From July to September, 2024

The excavation of the Colombo Port mass grave began on 5 September, 2024 (Thursday). The first phase lasted only eight days and came to a temporary halt on 13 September, 2024 (Friday). When these activities were halted, skeletal remains of at least two people had been found, while around four skulls could be seen in the grave.

The second phase began on 26 September, 2024 (Thursday) and was halted after just two days. Journalists who visited the site in the evening had seen more human skeletal remains in the grave.

Human skeletal remains had first been found at the Colombo Port's old Secretariat premises on 13 July, 2024. This had occurred during the groundwork conducted for the purpose of building the new expressway running towards the Colombo Port.

After the relevant facts were presented to the court, excavations resumed on 5 September, 2024 (Thursday) on the orders of Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe.