All photographs by Uthayarasa Shalin
Thousands of Tamils gathered at Mullivaikkal commemoration ground this morning to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.
This year marks 17 years since Sri Lanka's genocidal offensive that left an estimated 169,796 Tamils unaccounted for and presumed dead.
The Sri Lankan government encouraged Tamils to enter so called 'No Fire Zones' and then committed unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, and rape and other sexual violence and denied them humanitarian aid.
17 years on, the Tamil nation continues to commemorate the genocide and demand justice and accountability for Sri Lanka's crimes.
See photographs from the commemoration below.
