Local government officials at the Valikaamam East Pradesiya Sabai (Divisional Council) marked Maaveerar Naal today, paying tribute to the sacrifice of Tamils who gave their lives to the struggle for liberation. 

A heavy police and military presence surrounded local residents and the former NPC councillor, M K Shivajilingham as they made a tribute to the Maaveerar at a memorial in Koppay this morning. 

A hand painted Tamil Eelam flag was hoisted this morning outside a school in Puthukudiyiruppu as the nation marks Maaveerar Naal today. 

The image of the flag, painted on red fabric, had the words "Tamil Eelam is our mother" written at the bottom. 

The Maaveerar Naal 2018 commemorations began on Tuesday morning with an event at the Thileepan Memorial in Nallur, Jaffna.

Suspected state intelligence officials handed out gazette notifications from 2011 and told villagers they were prohibited from attending Maaveerar Naal commemorations.

Residents of Kudaththanai, in Vadamaradchi, Jaffna District, were given printed copies of the gazette notification issued during Mahinda's presidential reign. The gazette, "Prevention of Terrorism (Proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) Regulations No. 1 of 2011, No. 1721/2", was given out by unknown Sinhala men, along with a warning that now that Mahinda Rajapaksa had returned as "prime minister", the laws would be enforced.

Copies were also dropped off at the local goverment offices in the village. 

Final preparations for Maaveerar Naal were completed on Monday at thuyilum illams, LTTE cemeteries, across the Tamil homeland.

Batticaloa residents were intimidated by police during their work at Maavadi Munmari thuyilum illam and were also told that the Batticaloa magistrate judge had banned the display of LTTE flags. Police collected the details of all those involved in clearing work at the cemetery.

The Kayts magistrate declined to issue a ban on Maaveerar Naal commemorations at Chatty thuyilum illam although ordered a ban on LTTE flags or images with LTTE uniform being displayed.

Kayts police had filed a petition requesting a blanket ban on commemorations at the destroyed LTTE cemetery by Chatty beach on Velanai island.

While the judge said on Monday that there was no ban remembering the dead he stipulated that the specified LTTE insignia should not be displayed.

Final preparations at Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam, the major LTTE cemetery in Kilinochchi, have been completed in advance of Maaveerar Naal.

The Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam has held particular significance as a symbol of mobilisation and resistance around Tamil memorialisation efforts, becoming the first place since the end of the war where Maaveerar Naal was commemorated publicly on a large scale two years ago.

Almost four years into the ‘good governance’ government, Sri Lanka’s image of stability and progress unravelled last month in a day. President Sirisena’s sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa followed by the dissolving of parliament and call for fresh elections, ended any semblance of stability. Revealed instead was disregard for the country’s constitution and rule of law, bribery, violence and an entrenched racism which habitually blames Tamils for the state’s woes. Sri Lanka’s latest descent into turmoil highlights once again the simmering crisis of unresolved ethnic conflict that remains at the island’s core. 

It is amid the island’s political uncertainty that Eelam Tamils look to commemorate Maaveerar Naal (Tamil Remembrance Day) tomorrow.

<p>Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena said Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be appointed prime minister, stating that he is “highly corrupt” and accused him of pursuing “an extremely liberal form of government that is not compatible with our culture".</p> <p>"Even if the UNP has the majority, I told them not to bring Ranil Wickremesinghe before me,” Sirisena told foreign reporters in Colombo on Sunday. “I will not make him prime minister ... not in my lifetime," he added.</p> <p>“There is a tradition that the person appointed PM should be able to work with the president. I cannot work with Ranil. The UNP will have to bring somebody else."</p>