The 15th annual commemoration of Mullivaikal, which remembers the lives lost in the final stages of the genocide, took place today, Saturday (18), across Tamil Eelam. Among the various events held to mark this solemn occasion, a commemorative event was organised by the Mannar branch of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) at 9:00 am.

The 15th anniversary of the genocide at Mullivaikal was commemorated today in Mannar, organised by the Tamil National Right to Life Movement under the leadership of its president, V.S. Sivakaran.

Thousands of Tamils have gathered in Mullivaikkal, Mullaitivu, the area where tens of thousands were massacred by the Sri Lankan government in the final days of the armed conflict fifteen years ago.

Flowers were scattered at Nandikadal lagoon by Tamil activists including former Northern Provincial Council member Thurairasa Ravikaran to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. 

This year marks 15 years since Sri Lanka's genocidal offensive that massacred tens of thousands of Tamils. 

The Sri Lankan military overruns the last remaining ‘No Fire Zone’.

TamilNet receives a final phone call before it loses all communication with its correspondents in the field.

The US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung met with Tamil families of the disappeared, former combatants, and former Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) detainees, where she reiterated the inherent right of the families to mourn and memorialise their dead.

Chung who is currently touring Jaffna, said on X:

Remnants from Mullivaikkal were on display as survivors spoke at the launch of the second edition of Mullivakkal Stories by Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research in Jaffna.

Among some of the items shown were the limited options for food such as the Mullivaikkal Kanji, vaipan, rice and lentils, and fried roti. When food, aid, and medicines were cut off to Tamil Eelam during the last stages of the armed conflict, Tamils relied on these foods to sustain themselves. 

The University of Jaffna has displayed artwork on campus to mark 15 years since the Tamil genocide where tens of thousands of Tamils were brutally massacred at the hands of the Sri Lankan armed forces. 

Some of artwork depict the atrocities, such as extrajudicial killings, carried out by Sri Lanka's military during the final months of the conflict. 

Sri Lankan police officers obstructed Tamils in Pillaiyaradi, Batticaloa, from distributing kanji to mark the sixth day of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week. 

This is the second time this week that Tamils in Batticaloa have been blocked by Sri Lankan police from distributing kanji as part of their commemorations. 

Writing in Scroll.In, Meenakshi Ganguly, the Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated that the "unaddressed legacy of war" has led to Sri Lanka's "abuse, impunity and misgovernance that still blight the country."

Ganguly highlights that although 15 years have passed since the genocide at Mullivaikkal, there has been no justice or accountability for the Tamil community.