Political parties and families of those killed in the final phase of the war held remembrance events on Monday across the Northern and Eastern provinces, with organisers alleging that security forces and police attempted to disrupt the gatherings, The Island reported.
Members of the Karaituraipattu Divisional Secretariat, including Mahadeva Gunasingharasa and Jegatheesan Rathinam, joined tribute events and prayers in the East. A separate observance was held at the Gurumankaadu Pillaiyar Temple in Vavuniya, organised by the Vavuniya District Anthanar Association. Members of the public, devotees and representatives of civil society groups participated in religious observances and lit memorial lamps, the report said.
May 18 marks the date in 2009 when security forces brought the Northern and Eastern provinces back under state control, ending the nearly three-decade war. LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s body was recovered the following day.
The remembrance gatherings unfold in parallel with the government’s 17th National War Heroes’ Commemoration Day on May 19, which honours fallen military personnel and which the government this year marked with 5,289 Tri Service promotions. Tamil-majority constituencies typically observe the date as Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, mourning civilians and combatants killed in the closing months of the conflict.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay used a Mullivaikkal post on May 18 to express solidarity with the diaspora, while Amnesty International marked 17 years of impunity over alleged wartime atrocities. The Island’s report carried no immediate police or military response to the disruption allegations.
Sources: The Island — LTTE’s defeat marked with remembrance events across North and East.
