Stories of Mullivaikkal, a collection of stories showcasing the individual strength and resilience of survivors of the final phases of the war, was released by the Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research on Tuesday.

The book launch which took place at the Jaffna Public Library began with the lighting of lamps, to commemorate the victims of Mullivaikkal.

Adayaalam’s Research Director, Dharsha Jegatheeswaran, and Senior Researcher, Anushani Alagarajah, introduced the stories, part of the organisation’s wider ‘Stories of Resilience’ project.

Organisers have begun preparing for a remembrance ceremony at Mullivaikkal to be held later this week, as Tamils around the world prepare to mark May 18.

Families protested on Saturday against micro-finance loans provided by private companies that are causing people to become more in debt. 

Protesters in Vanthaaramoolai, Batticaloa highlighted rising rates of depression and family disputes over spiralling personal debts, as well as suicides. 

Members of Valikaamam West Pradeshiya Sabha on Tuesday remembered the tens of thousands of Tamils killed during the final stages of the armed conflict. 

Pradeshiya Sabha members lit candles and held a moment's silence during their 3rd session since the recent election.

A mobile tribute to the victims of the May 2009 reached Nallur today, after setting off from Valvettithurai yesterday. 

The remembrance vehicle, which is to do a tour of the Northern province, is expected to reach Mullivaikkal on May 18. 

Crusaders for Democracy this week called on the Sri Lankan president to release all the Tamil political prisoners who continued to be held in detention ahead of May 18. 

Speaking to journalists at their Jaffna office on Tuesday the party's media spokesperson, Thulasi said that it would be appropriate to release the prisoners at this time as Tamils remember the genocide that took place in the final stages of the armed conflict in 2009. 

"All Tamils participated in the struggle. It is not reasonable to hold some Tamils in prisons for it," he added. 

US-based advocacy group PEARL has documented Sri Lanka’s failure to fulfil its transitional justice commitments and the international community’s complacency towards it, in the organisation’s new report “Delayed or Denied? Sri Lanka’s Failing Transitional Justice Process.”

Police officers across the Northern province this week had their leave cancelled until May 20 citing security fears ahead of May 18 Tamil genocide remembrance events. 

Senior officers said that extra police officers would be needed to prevent violence. 

Tamils across the North-East and worldwide will be commemorating the genocide of Tamils in the final stages of the armed conflict at remembrance events on May 18. 

Previous years have repeatedly seen increased military and police personnel in the North-East, citing the risk of violence. 

Police officers in Ilavalai, Jaffna warned locals against holding any remembrance events commemorating the those who were killed in the last stages of the armed conflict. 

Civil society groups and locals had planned to hold a remembrance event on May 18, at 5.30pm. 

Ordering the event to be cancelled, the Ilavalai police station's head officer warned, "if you hold any event on May 18 it will be considered as a commemoration of the LTTE therefore we will not allow this event to happen." 

The thirty-six Tamils massacred by Sri Lankan navy officers on board the Kumuthini boat on May 15, 1985 were remembered on Tuesday in Neduntheevu. 

Families of those who were killed came to the memorial to light candles and lay flowers in memory of their loved ones.