The third day of Maaveerar remembrance week was marked by Tamils outside Koppay Thuyilum Illam which is now occupied by the Sri Lankan army.
A flame was lit by a makeshift gravestone outside the Thuyilum Illam. Thuyilum Illams - or resting homes - were built by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to house the bodies of fallen cadres. However, all of these were either destroyed during the armed conflict or after by the Sri Lankan army.
In 1995, Koppay Thuyilum Illam was destroyed by the Sri Lankan army but was later rebuilt by the LTTE during the 2002 ceasefire. In July 2010, the Sri Lankan army bulldozed the graves at Koppay Thuyilum Illam where the bodies of over 2,000 fighters were buried and built an army base on top of it.
Families of fallen LTTE cadres are forced to hold commemorations outside the cemetery following its destruction and the subsequent occupation by the Sri Lankan armed forces.
Events are taking place across the North-East this week in the lead up to Maaveerar Naal where the Tamil nation mourns those who lost their lives in the armed struggle.
