Archeological dept. has nothing to do with mass graves : discovery relates to human remains not statues -Ex High court judge Warawewa
(Lanka-e-News- 12.March.2014, 11.00PM) Former high court judge W. T. M. P. B. Warawewa who is most reputed for his exemplary conduct officially and otherwise and as a rare judge of recent times who adorned the bench revealed that the mass graves dug out at Mannar contain skeletal remains and not parts of statues as made out by the archeological department which is therefore seeking to reject court procedures and mislead the people.
What have surfaced in Mannar mass graves are not limbs and bodies of statues , but are human skeletal remains. Therefore the archeological department should stop its deceit aimed at duping the people, and forestalling court intervention and legal procedures, a most reputed former high court judge Warawewa pointed out.
Warawewa made this revelation when Lanka e news sought his opinion in regard to the disclosure made by Namal Kodituwakku ,the Assist. Director of the archeological department to Lankadeepa who is conducting himself more as a light foreteller than an archeological department Assist. Director . The latter had stated that the remains are as old as 50 to 60 years, and some of them that have been discovered are over 100 years old , adding that during that period there may not have been a custom among the residents in and around those areas of putting the bodies in boxes and burying , and besides in the years 1936 -1937 , since malaria was widespread in that whole dry region, these bodies could be those of the victims who died of that disease, Kodituwakku had further surmised.
On the contrary , Warawewa an upright judge of a rare breed who never gave wrong judgments even under political pressures when he was a judge had asserted the archeological dept. officers haven’t the know how to pursue and achieve anything in this connection , while also clearly explaining the correct court and judicial procedure that should be followed when skeletal remains are discovered during an earth excavation.
‘Firstly , those who discovered the remains must inform the police who in turn should notify the magistrate of the area , and the police must visit the scene along with the magistrate . After inspecting the site that area should be protected before further digging is done. The magistrate must enlist the assistance of the judicial medical officer and investigate how these deaths have come by ; identify those to whom the remains belong ; their age ; and the period when they had occurred via reports obtained from experts. If the local medical officers are unable to accomplish this , assistance of foreign forensic experts shall be sought .’
‘These are tasks that come under the purview of the judicial medical science (forensic medicine) and not what belong to the archeological department because what have been discovered are not limbs and bodies of statues . These are skeletal remains of human beings who had been alive at one time.’
‘Moreover , on what scientific grounds did Kodituwakku who knows about ancient inanimate statues conclude that these remains are 100 years old? Did he do a carbon examination ? or he is he making use of his light foretelling experience to make these conclusions?’ Warawewa questioned.
‘This archeological officer by making rash and foolish statements that these bodies may not have been put in boxes and buried 100 years ago , had not only betrayed his abysmal ignorance of archeological history but even ordinary history.’
‘100 years ago means the year 1914. In 1914 the people of SL did not live as wild beings . Perhaps , from all these bogus tales what is very evident is Kodituwakku had tried to deceive the people , and Kodituwakku’s old wives tales have only contributed to the inescapable reasonable inference of the people that his aim had been deliberately to mislead and dupe them.’
‘All what we are requesting is a fair and just judicial procedure in connection with this mass grave discovery. If we are unable to do an investigation truly and thoroughly , an international investigation shall be enlisted , It is human lives and the horrors of their deaths we are investigating , not statues and inanimate objects as Kodituwakku is trying to falsely make out,’ Warawewa stated with concern.
The human skeletal remains were discovered on 20 th December 2013 for the first time by workers who were engaged in constructing a tube well system from Manthai junction, Mannar to Thiruketheeswaram.
Following this discovery , on the orders of Mannar magistrate Ms. Anandi Kanagaratnam , the mass grave excavation was begun .So far skeleton parts belonging to about 84 bodies have been found at that site.
(Lanka-e-News- 12.March.2014, 11.00PM) Former high court judge W. T. M. P. B. Warawewa who is most reputed for his exemplary conduct officially and otherwise and as a rare judge of recent times who adorned the bench revealed that the mass graves dug out at Mannar contain skeletal remains and not parts of statues as made out by the archeological department which is therefore seeking to reject court procedures and mislead the people.What have surfaced in Mannar mass graves are not limbs and bodies of statues , but are human skeletal remains. Therefore the archeological department should stop its deceit aimed at duping the people, and forestalling court intervention and legal procedures, a most reputed former high court judge Warawewa pointed out.
Warawewa made this revelation when Lanka e news sought his opinion in regard to the disclosure made by Namal Kodituwakku ,the Assist. Director of the archeological department to Lankadeepa who is conducting himself more as a light foreteller than an archeological department Assist. Director . The latter had stated that the remains are as old as 50 to 60 years, and some of them that have been discovered are over 100 years old , adding that during that period there may not have been a custom among the residents in and around those areas of putting the bodies in boxes and burying , and besides in the years 1936 -1937 , since malaria was widespread in that whole dry region, these bodies could be those of the victims who died of that disease, Kodituwakku had further surmised.
On the contrary , Warawewa an upright judge of a rare breed who never gave wrong judgments even under political pressures when he was a judge had asserted the archeological dept. officers haven’t the know how to pursue and achieve anything in this connection , while also clearly explaining the correct court and judicial procedure that should be followed when skeletal remains are discovered during an earth excavation.
‘Firstly , those who discovered the remains must inform the police who in turn should notify the magistrate of the area , and the police must visit the scene along with the magistrate . After inspecting the site that area should be protected before further digging is done. The magistrate must enlist the assistance of the judicial medical officer and investigate how these deaths have come by ; identify those to whom the remains belong ; their age ; and the period when they had occurred via reports obtained from experts. If the local medical officers are unable to accomplish this , assistance of foreign forensic experts shall be sought .’
‘These are tasks that come under the purview of the judicial medical science (forensic medicine) and not what belong to the archeological department because what have been discovered are not limbs and bodies of statues . These are skeletal remains of human beings who had been alive at one time.’
‘Moreover , on what scientific grounds did Kodituwakku who knows about ancient inanimate statues conclude that these remains are 100 years old? Did he do a carbon examination ? or he is he making use of his light foretelling experience to make these conclusions?’ Warawewa questioned.
‘This archeological officer by making rash and foolish statements that these bodies may not have been put in boxes and buried 100 years ago , had not only betrayed his abysmal ignorance of archeological history but even ordinary history.’
‘100 years ago means the year 1914. In 1914 the people of SL did not live as wild beings . Perhaps , from all these bogus tales what is very evident is Kodituwakku had tried to deceive the people , and Kodituwakku’s old wives tales have only contributed to the inescapable reasonable inference of the people that his aim had been deliberately to mislead and dupe them.’
‘All what we are requesting is a fair and just judicial procedure in connection with this mass grave discovery. If we are unable to do an investigation truly and thoroughly , an international investigation shall be enlisted , It is human lives and the horrors of their deaths we are investigating , not statues and inanimate objects as Kodituwakku is trying to falsely make out,’ Warawewa stated with concern.
The human skeletal remains were discovered on 20 th December 2013 for the first time by workers who were engaged in constructing a tube well system from Manthai junction, Mannar to Thiruketheeswaram.
Following this discovery , on the orders of Mannar magistrate Ms. Anandi Kanagaratnam , the mass grave excavation was begun .So far skeleton parts belonging to about 84 bodies have been found at that site.
