Tamil diaspora organisations condemned the "destruction and desecration" of the Mullivaikkal memorial by the Sri Lankan army earlier this week. 

In a joint press release, the Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), La Maison du Tamil Eelam, Irish Tamils Forum (ITF), National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT), Norwegian Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET), Solidarity Group for Peace and Justice in Sri Lanka (SGPJ) and United States Tamil Action Group (USTAG) said: 

"The shameful act carried out under strict Covid lockdown and suffocating military presence leaves no doubt on the identity of the perpetrators."

"The wanton destruction of the memorial for Tamil war victims in Mullivaikkal three days ago appears to be the response of the heavily militarised Sri Lankan government to the successful passage of the recent UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka," they added. 

On Wednesday, the first day of Mullivaikkal remembrance week, Sri Lankan soldiers damaged the structure designed to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamils that were massacred by the state in a genocidal military offensive twelve years ago. 

The monument, which depicts a pair of outstretched hands, had been broken off and tossed into the nearby sand. In recent years, the monument has been the site of annual memorials.

Although the Sri Lankan army have denied responsibility for the destruction, boot prints were left at the site after they cordoned off the area. 

The diaspora groups called on the international community "to condemn the inhumane acts of elements associated with the Sri Lanka military and urge the Government of Sri Lanka to respect the right to memorialise." 

Read the full statement here.