Fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres were remembered at Uduthurai Thuyilum Illam on Monday as the Tamil nation marks Maaveerar remembrance week.
The tombstones of fallen LTTE cadres, which were destroyed by the Sri Lankan army, were placed together to form a large monument in memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the Tamil struggle for liberation.
Thuyilum Illams - resting places - were built across the North-East by the LTTE in the 1990s. Thuyilum Illams were destroyed both during the armed conflict and later bulldozed over by the Sri Lankan state following the Tamil genocide in 2009. In some areas, the Sri Lankan army have built over them and set up their army bases.
While all of the Thuyilum Illams have been destroyed by Sri Lanka, families of fallen cadres still gather there on Maaveerar Naal to remember their loved ones in spite of intimidation by the state.
