The Mullivaikkal Commemoration Committee marked the 12th anniversary of the massacre by lighting flame to a memorial lamp opposite a poster.
The Committee also released the “Mullivaikal Declaration” recounting the Tamil people’s struggle for justice throughout the 12 years since the armed conflict came to an end despite being subjected to intense oppression by the Sri Lankan government.
The Declaration also drew up a set of resolutions charting the future course of action for the Tamil community’s fight for justice. They are as follow;
-
Commemoration is not just related to fundamental rights, it is also a cultural right of Eelam Tamils. Therefore, the Sri Lankan government could never abrogate the Eelam Tamils’ right to remembrance.
-
To refer not just the criminals that perpetrated the Tamil genocide but also the Sinhala-Buddhist government to the International Criminal Court;
-
To demand the establishment of an international mechanism to investigate crimes of Tamil genocide by referring Sri Lanka to the United Nations General Assembly from the UN Human Rights Council;
-
To recognise Tamil genocide and ensure its non-repetition;
-
To stop and halt the structural genocide that continues in the North-East;
-
To demand the Tamil right to self-rule on the basis of the right to self-determination and sovereignty by ensuring the multi-national nature of Sri Lanka and the independence of Tamils;
-
For all Eelam Tamils to unite on the basis of an “Eelam Tamil identity” and endeavour towards the independence of the Tamil nation.
Read the full Declaration statement here.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
