Sri Lankan police summoned Tamils for interrogation on Wednesday, after their children were dressed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, as part of Maaveerar Naal commemorations this week.
On Monday, Tamils gathered outside Koppay Thuyilum Illam, an LTTE cemetery which was destroyed and built over by the Sri Lankan army’s 51st Division, to commemorate Maaveerar Naal.
Read more: Tamils defy Sri Lankan crackdown to remember their heroes - Maaveerar Naal 2023
As part of the remembrance ceremonies, flames were lit and songs played as thousands gathered to pay tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives for the Tamil cause. Many in the crowds had lost close family, including parents, siblings, and children.
Some children were dressed in the style of LTTE cadres, as a homage to the deceased fighters.
Tamils dressed as female LTTE cadres at Maaveerar Naal, London 2023.
The tribute is seen in the diaspora too, where some have dressed as LTTE cadres at remembrance events, as well as a part of dance performances and dramas depicting the Tamil struggle.
It is also a tradition sometimes seen in the West, where children and relatives of the fallen soldiers or from military families dress in US and British army uniforms for remembrance ceremonies (see here and here) and for other causes (see here and here).
