Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and politicians across the country have issued statements to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, commemorating the tens of thousands of Tamils massacred by the Sri Lankan state in May 2009 and renewing calls for accountability, truth and justice.

Newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney published the following statement this morning:

British Members of Parliament and political leaders have issued statements marking Mullivaikkal Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, paying tribute to the tens of thousands of Tamils killed in May 2009 and renewing calls for justice, accountability, and peace.

In a message this morning, Uma Kumaran MP, the first British Member of Parliament of Eelam Tamil heritage, stated:

Sri Lankan police disrupted an event in Muthur, Trincomalee today which was organised to distribute Mullivaikkal kanji ahead of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.  

Police officers arrived at the event and seized a banner erected at the event and summoned the organisers for questioning. 

The Tamil Genocide Monument, dedicated to the victims and survivors of the genocide perpetrated by the Sri Lankan state in the final phase of the armed conflict, was inaugurated in Brampton, Canada on May 10. 

On this day 49 years ago, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was founded.

Then 21-year-old Velupillai Prabhakaran rebranded his militant organisation the Tamil New Tigers, into the LTTE. 

The organisation, was one of many militant groups formed at the time, but grew to become the largest and spearheaded the Tamil struggle for an independent state.

Today, we share a selection of original photographs from Kilinochchi of the LTTE throughout the years.