Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day 2025 commemorated in the Netherlands

Marking the 16th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, Tamil organisations in the Netherlands held a memorial event at Dam Square in Amsterdam, on 18 May 2025, in remembrance of the tens of thousands of Tamil killed during the 2009 genocide.

The event was jointly organised by the Netherlands Tamil Coordination Committee and Tamil Youth Organisation.

A floral tribute ceremony, following the lighting of the common flame and raising of both the Dutch and Tamil Eelam flags, was inaugurated by Tamil Coordination Committee activist Ponnuthurai Sasitharan and Women’s Organisation activist Suba. Members of the public were then invited to offer their tributes in memory of those who perished in Mullivaikkal.

In a powerful moment of collective expression, Tamil youth took to the stage, chanting slogans in Tamil, English, and Dutch, denouncing the genocide of Tamils. Their demonstration was followed by a series of emotional dance and theatre performances, where participants conveyed the enduring pain and loss experienced by the Tamil nation.

A poignant highlight of the evening was a theatrical performance by the Tamil Coordination Committee. The play depicted the suffering, trauma, and displacement faced by the Tamil people, leaving many in the audience visibly moved and in tears.

To close, Mullivaikkal salt porridge (kanji) was served - recalling the survival food of Tamil civilians during the 2009 siege.

See more photographs below.