May 18 marks Tamil Genocide Day, commemorating the tens of thousands of Tamils who were massacred by the Sri Lankan state 13 years ago.
Follow events from across the Tamil Guardian below and on our Twitter account here.
After providing an initial death toll of 40,000, the UN found evidence suggesting that 70,000 were killed. Local census records indicate that at least 146,679 people are unaccounted for and presumed to have been killed. By examining different sources, including the United Nations, census figures and World Bank data, the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) found that the highest estimate of those killed during that final phase could be as large as 169,796.
_____
Over a thousand Tamils have gathered in Mullivaikkal today to commemorate the victims of the Tamil genocide.
Former NPC Councillor T Ravikaran placed flowers into Nandikadal lagoon this morning, as dawn broke over the Tamil homeland on Tamil Genocide Day today.
Hundreds of Tamils began their rally this morning from Puthukudiyiruppu towards Mullivaikkal, where they will join a commemoration event for the victims of the Tamil genocide.
In Vavuniya, special prayers were held at Sri Vinayagar temple.
Tamil families of the disappeared paid tribute and marked Tamil Genocide Day at their protest site in Vavuniya where they have been protesting for 1915 days.
Valikamam East Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Thiyagaraja Nirosh lit a flame alongside other Pradeshiya Sabha members to remember the genocide at Mullivakkal.
Tamils in Mannar held a vigil in the Bazaar area and served Mullivaikkal kanji to mark the day.
A commemoration event was also held in front of Mannar bus stand where Tamils laid flowers and distributed Mullivaikkal Kanji.
Mannar Diocesan Bishop Gnanaprakash Adigalar, members of the Mannar Diocesan Justice Peace Commission and the Mannar District Citizens' Committee organised a rally through Mannar today to mark Tamil Genocide Day.
Traders in PTK closed their businesses today to mark Tamil Genocide Day while the Three Wheelers Association served Mullivaikkal kanji.
In Gurunagar, Jaffna, Tamils marked Tamil Genocide Day by laying flowers and distributing Mullivaikkal Kanji.
A memorial service was held at Sinnapar temple in Mullivaikkal East to mark Tamil Genocide Day.
The mother of a fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadre lit a flame in Velanai for the victims of the Mullivaikkal massacre.
Jaffna University students paid their respects at the Mullivaikkal memorial monument on campus, which was reconstructed last year after being bulldozed by the Sri Lankan authorities in January 2021. University lecturers, academic staff and students held a moment of silence followed by lighting a flame in honour of the victims. Students also paid floral tributes with many attendees who lost family members seen shedding tears.
Tamils waved white flags and laid flowers to mark Tamil Genocide Day at Gandhi Park in Batticaloa earlier today. They also reaffirmed their calls for a "dignified political solution for the Tamil people in the North-East, the truth about the fate of those forcibly disappeared; the release of all Tamil political prisoners and those held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act; the repeal of the PTA; an end to militarisation and land grabs."
At Eastern University in Vantharumolai, Batticaloa, students laid flowers to mark Tamil Genocide Day. The Tamil students also lit a flame and candles to commemorate the lives lost. Eastern Universities Faculty of Arts Students Union displayed a banner stating, “May the souls of all the innocent people massacred in Mullivaikkal rest In peace.”
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) held a remembrance event in Kallady, Batticaloa where prayers were held and Mullivaikkal kanji distributed.
Commemorations were also held at St Patrick’s College in Jaffna. The event also included an image of Father Francis Joseph, the school's former rector who was disappeared after surrendering to the Sri Lankan Army alongside hundreds of LTTE cadres and high-ranking LTTE officials in May 2009.
This afternoon, Tamils in Kilinochchi paid tribute to the victims of the Tamil genocide by observing a minute's silence and lighting a flame.
