Sri Lankan military obstructs Mullivaikkal memorial float as commemorations continue across North-East

A memorial float dedicated to the victims of the genocide at Mullivaikkal was obstructed by a Sri Lankan soldier as it travelled through Chavakachcheri, Jaffna yesterday. 

The unidentified soldier intimidated Tamil activists by Chavakachcheri bus stand as the float travelled through Jaffna and headed towards Kilinochchi. 

The solemn remembrance of the final stages of the armed conflict in Mullivaikkal remains at the forefront of collective memory in the North-East. Numerous organisations and groups have organised various initiatives, including travelling floats and the distribution of Mullivaikkal kanji, to honour the lives lost and ensure the transmission of the massacre's history to future generations.

On May 11, members of the Jaffna University Students' Union, as part of their ongoing awareness campaign, collected donations of rice and firewood from residents in Mannar. They prepared kanji in front of the District General Hospital and distributed it among the general public. Similarly, on May 12, the Vavuniya district and Jaffna families of the forcibly disappeared gathered in Iluppaiyadi and in front of Thileepan's memorial in Nallur to prepare and share kanji.

Students at Jaffna University observed a moment of silence, lit candles, and garlanded the monument dedicated to the civilian lives lost in Mullivaikkal on May 12. The monument, originally erected by locals in 2019, was destroyed under the cover of night with the protection of the police and military in January 2021. Following protests by students, the then Mayor of Jaffna, and the public, the government replaced the monument with the current one on the university premises.

The Eastern University students commemorated the civilian massacre in front of a Sivan Kovil in Trincomalee, while the Tamil National People's Alliance organised a remembrance event at their premises in Jaffna. Families of the forcibly disappeared in Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts also held memorial ceremonies, honoring the lives of their lost loved ones and continuing their demand for justice.

In a show of unity and resilience, the community residing near Mullivaikkal gathered to clean up the beach that marked the final No Fire Zone, heavily shelled by the Sri Lanka Air Force. As a gesture of solidarity, they prepared kanji and distributed it among the participants.