An expert committee appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe has recommended the construction of a "centrally located iconic building as a repository of artistic and cultural expressions" to commemorate those who died in the armed conflict, political unrest, or civil disturbances.
The committee claims this building could foster collective commitment to non-recurrence and promote community healing. Their report, based on months of deliberations and public consultations in the North-East and Kurunegala, asserts the right to memorialise and notes diverse engagement with memorialisation and reconciliation.
Despite these claims, Sri Lankan police arrested several Tamils during Mullivaikkal remembrance week for distributing Mullivaikkal Kanji. In other areas, police violently blocked commemorations. The present recommendation also comes while Tamils in the North-East continue to be deprived of their lands, cemeteries, and monuments.
