Sri Lankan troops were caught on camera stamping out a flame that had been lit to mark the Mullivakkal massacres in Jaffna this evening.
CCTV footage shows armed Sri Lankan soldiers outside the office of a Tamil political party in Old Park Road where a memorial event had taken place.
The military had initially arrived and claimed that the event, which was held outside with social distancing measures in place, was breaking coronavirus lockdown measures. Troops ordered everyone inside, though organisers insisted that a memorial flame be allowed to remain lit for the evening.
Soldiers reluctantly agreed and left, only to return back later that evening and stamp out the flame.
“This is insulting the souls of the dead,” one Tamil activist told the Tamil Guardian.
The latest incident comes as security forces throughout the day have been intimidating and detaining activists in attempts to halt commemoration events from taking place.
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