{"id":85768,"date":"2019-02-22T22:01:55","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T04:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=85768"},"modified":"2019-02-22T07:04:34","modified_gmt":"2019-02-22T14:04:34","slug":"why-are-western-envoys-indian-ngos-worried-about-the-mannar-grave-excavations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/02\/22\/why-are-western-envoys-indian-ngos-worried-about-the-mannar-grave-excavations\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are western envoys &amp; Indian NGOs worried about the Mannar grave excavations?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Construction work at the CWE location in Mannar in March 2018 resulted in the discovery of skeletons which triggered the involvement of a plethora of players &amp; opened a pandora\u2019s box of opportunities for many lying in wait for some story to justify their interference in Sri Lanka\u2019s affairs. For everyone making something out of nothing is now part of the game. Without leaving the experts and giving them breathing space to determine the 3 types of skeletons that belong to 3 different time periods, many have already written the script to claim war crimes had been committed by Sri Lanka\u2019s Army. The 323 skeletons belong to the 5<sup>th<\/sup>\/6<sup>th<\/sup>century AD, the Dutch period and modern times. We don\u2019t know how the skeletons are divided by the 3 periods but there is no requirement for any speculation as the experts are busy doing their job and we should let them complete their job. What good is the investigations going to do when every western envoy &amp; foreign NGOs descend disturbing their work with their one-track questions?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-473 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-1-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Mannar Magistrate T G Prabakaran issued orders to investigate CWE premises owned by the Marketing Department following a complaint to the Mannar Police on 25 March 2018 after human bones were discovered while carrying out construction work. Excavation of site commenced on 16 May 2018 under a team comprising Chief Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) Mannar hospital Dr. Saminda Rajapaksa, Prof. Raj Somadeva (forensic archaeologist), officers of the Govt Analysts Dept, police, staff of Survey Dept and staff from Mannar Municipal Council. Police crime officers undertook photographic recording.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-468 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1002\" height=\"341\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-469 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"737\" height=\"219\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The skeletons belong to 3 different time zones.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>dating to 5<sup>th<\/sup>\/6<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0century AD<\/li>\n<li>belonging to Dutch era<\/li>\n<li>belonging to modern period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What can be ruled out is that\u00a0it was no ritualistic burial.<\/p>\n<p>Lets\u2019 go a bit back in time about the history of this site.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>From 1944 to 1970 it was a cemetery.<\/li>\n<li>From 1970 to 1971 it was used by fishermen &amp; carters as a place to relax<\/li>\n<li>From 1971 a shop called Marketing Department\u201d started. The shop closed in 1991.<\/li>\n<li>In 1991 People\u2019s Bank in Sinnakadai area was shifted to present CWE location in Uppukulam in Mannar<\/li>\n<li>In 2011 CWE old building was renovated &amp; re-established as SATHOSA in same location.<\/li>\n<li>On 25 March 2018 construction work for a new CWE building began when skeletons were found during construction.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-470 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"477\" height=\"278\" \/>Construction work at CWE site for new building<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-471 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"473\" height=\"231\" \/>present CWE building<\/p>\n<p>323 human skeletons were found\u00a0of which 314 were removed (of which some were children, adolescents) &amp; handed to the Mannar Court. Porcelain, ceramic &amp; metal objects, jewellery probably worn by victims were also excavated.\u00a06 bone fragments (including remains of femurs &amp; teeth) were handed to the Beta Analytics in Florida, USA on 25 January 2019 for a carbon test.<\/p>\n<p>Carbon dating to determine when the corpses were in fact buried will be followed by DNA of bones with families of missing in the North says OMP Chairman Saliya Pieris.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s not forget that from the time of burial, a human body to reach skeleton stage it takes upto 12 years.<\/p>\n<p>Taking part in this other than JMO Dr. Saminda Rajapakse was the\u00a0Commissioner General of the Office of Missing Persons Mirak Raheem (one time head researcher of Pakiasothy Saravanamuthu\u2019s Centre for Policy Alternatives &amp; Board of Trustee of Neelam Tiruchelvan Trust)\u00a0and strangely 2 lawyers V Niranjan (is this the same author of The Broken Covenant?) &amp; Raneetha Mayuran were present on behalf of relatives of missing persons!<\/p>\n<p>What is bizarre &amp; puzzling is the reason for a stampede of international presence to Mannar by foreigners outside of their accepted protocol. The British political &amp; human rights representative Grate Cruz, Germany envoy to Sri Lanka John Rohde, British High Commissioner\u2019s Secretary Ravel Green, British Religious Affairs Officer Mohamed Shiyam, ICRC &amp; UN officials, Jaffna University Medical Students, Canadian High Commissioner David McKinnon with head of the political affairs Mrs. Johns Mary. Sen Rood of the US embassy with translator Glanzis Cruz, representatives of People\u2019s Watch\u201d in India (what business does an Indian NGO have here) and how could we not include the BBC\u2019s C4 media team headed by Jonathan Miller! They must be all history &amp; archaeological enthusiasts!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-472 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shenaliwaduge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Mannar-6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"952\" height=\"360\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Canadian High commissioner to Sri Lanka David McKinnon (photo 1)<\/p>\n<p>German Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mr. John Rohde. (photo 2)<\/p>\n<p>Are the OMP present in whose interests?<\/p>\n<p>If the OMP are so concerned about the missing and the families of missing it would be really nice to see them enthusiastically looking for the 5000 missing Sri Lankan Armed Forces personnel who all have names as well as the many missing people during JVP-UNP terror reign from mid 1980s to early 1990s.<\/p>\n<p>To add to the excitement, the International LTTE network of terror sympathizers are claiming the recovered skeletons are of missing persons during the final phase of the conflict and their chorus comes just before an international human rights forum like the UNHRC sessions in Geneva.<\/p>\n<p>Though the experts are not able to determine when the dead were buried the experts are able to determine that none of them were SHOT DEAD or even\u00a0who the victims are!<\/p>\n<p>While the victims were NOT SHOT \u2013 how they died has not been determined as yet.<\/p>\n<p>Quite a lot of hanky panky has been happening too. Without leaving to the experts to carry out their investigations &amp; deliberations quite a number of interferences have been taking place.<\/p>\n<p>The diplomatic interference being one while all sorts of quacks have entered the scene. According to Daily News (22 Feb 2019) a group has been secretly collecting saliva &amp; blood samples from 40 family members of missing in Mannar at the Mannar District Women\u2019s Organization Office in Elutur assisted by its President Maha Lakshmi and sent to USA. As per the Daily News article those collecting the samples had been given special training in Guatemala.\u00a0The unanswered question is \u2013 how legal is this &amp; did they obtain legal permission for this and given that it has been reported in a state newspaper what are the authorities going to do about this Mannar District Women\u2019s Organization &amp; its President?<\/p>\n<p>The Beta Analytic Institute, Florida USA carbon dating report for 5 samples out of 6 were handed over to the Mannar Magistrate\u2019s Court by Specialist JMP Dr. Saminda Rajapakse. was to present its findings to the Mannar Court o 20<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0February 2019. However, Mannar Magistrate T Saravanarajah claims the court has not officially received the report.<\/p>\n<p>Looks like we will have to wait a few more days to find out what the US carbon dating reports say &amp; our only hope is that these reports will be revealed in its original state as sent and no politicization of the report would occur.<\/p>\n<p>Shenali D Waduge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction work at the CWE location in Mannar in March 2018 resulted in the discovery of skeletons which triggered the involvement of a plethora of players &amp; opened a pandora\u2019s box of opportunities for many lying in wait for some story to justify their interference in Sri Lanka\u2019s affairs. For everyone making something out of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1498,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shenali-waduge"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1498"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85768\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}