Mysterious Mass Grave Discovered in Sri Lanka - by Frances Garnett

On March 8th in Sri Lanka, an unmarked mass grave was found and uncovered on top of an old burial ground. 81 groups of skeletal remains have been recovered and sent for forensic testing to determine the cause and time of the deaths. They were found in a former northern war zone where a thirty-seven year old separatist war (ended in 2009) for a separate homeland for Tamils, and ethnic minority, was fought and claimed around one hundred thousand lives. The Sri Lankan government denies that its soldiers could have been involved, since the Mannar area where the grave was found was a stronghold for Tamil rebels, though it is currently facing war crime allegations for the conflict, and many battles between the rebels and troops were fought in that area. It has also been said that Indian troops on a peace-keeping mission had control over the area from 1987 to 1990.

Personally, I think that both the article and the evidence suggest that the remains in this grave were from victims of war crimes or killings of Tamils by Sri Lankan government troops, even though this process will take time in a laboratory trying to identify them. If it does turn out, though, that the government is at fault, I wonder how it would affect them and the country. Perhaps it would pass as a thing from the past and not much attention will be payed to the results. On the other hand, it could put Sri Lanka under a global microscope and the government in a tight spot, especially since the conflict only relatively recently ended, and there are probably still effects and aftermaths that affect people, and there may still be some resentment. Either way, this is another example of why we should avoid discrimination and conflicts, so that more people don't end up in mass graves. Even if this was created by another person or group, the same principles still apply.

Source: http://www.haveeru.com.mv/south_asia/53946