by Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice, London, February 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE: New Proposal Calls for Independent National DNA Bank to Identify Sri Lanka’s Disappeared
During Sri Lanka’s twenty-six-year civil war and earlier insurrections, tens of thousands were forcibly disappeared. Many suspected mass graves remain only partially exhumed and very few remains have been identified and returned. The paper argues that existing state mechanisms have failed to make meaningful progress and have lost public trust.
The proposal calls for a legally protected, independent body to oversee voluntary family DNA collection, forensic analysis and exhumations. Family samples would be stored in a secure, encrypted database and matched against DNA from recovered remains, with confirmed identifications returned through trained liaison officers.
Humanitarian in purpose, the initiative would also preserve evidence to international standards, ensuring findings could support future accountability processes if required. It applies to all those who remain missing, civilians and members of armed groups, affirming families’ right under international law to know the fate of their loved ones.
Drawing on international experience from Argentina, the Balkans and Latin America, the paper proposes new legislation to guarantee independence, protect consent and confidentiality, and provide clear authority for exhumations and admissibility of findings in court.
Implemented in phases: family DNA collection, forensic identification and the dignified return of remains, the proposed DNA Bank offers a realistic, internationally grounded path from uncertainty to answers.
Read the full report here: https://srilankacampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DNA-Bank-Concept-Paper-External.pdf
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