Several Tamil newspapers marked Maaveerar Naal on their front pages today, despite the Sri Lankan military blocking commemoration events.

The commemoration by the Tamil media houses comes as Sri Lankan courts barred Maaveerar Naal events and the Sri Lankan military ramped up its presence in the Tamil homeland, blocking access to LTTE cemeteries.

See a selection of newspapers and their front pages below.

As coronavirus pandemic regulations restrict mass gatherings, British Tamils are holding an online commemorative event to mark Maaveerar Naal today.

Watch proceedings live above.

The Sri Lankan army threatened business owners in Mullaitivu who had closed in respect of Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day of fallen LTTE fighters.

Amidst an intensifying crackdown in the North-East over the commemoration of Maaveerar Naal, this year marks the first time since 2016 that Tamils have been forbidden from mourning their loved ones at their thuyilum illams (resting places). 

Several arrests have taken place and homes have been raided across the North-East today, as the Sri Lankan military began a crackdown in the Tamil homeland, as Eelam Tamils around the world commemorate Maaveerar Naal.

Access to the destroyed cemeteries where tens of thousands of Tamil fighters were buried across the North-East has been blocked off by the Sri Lankan military, as a flurry of court orders last week banned commemorative events from taking place.

Though private events were allowed, the Sri Lankan security forces carried out several raids, arrests and were heavily deployed. Amongst those arrested is a Jaffna-based priest, who had set up for a remembrance event at the Bishop of Jaffna’s home.

The Mannar Magistrate Court extended its order to ban the commemoration of Maaveerar Naal in its jurisdiction yesterday. 

The court had earlier forbidden the remembrance of fallen soldiers citing coronavirus restrictions. 

Tamils in Jaffna lit candles and cut a cake in secret yesterday to mark the 66th birthday of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara and long time supporter of the Rajapaksas, was recently sworn in as the new Minister of Public Security, according to President’s Media Division. 

Nestle has sponsored large vans to play messages from the commander of Sri Lanka’s army, and war criminal, Shavendra Silva.

The large vans travelled throughout the Poonakari region from the 7- 13 November and were accompanied by troops from Sri Lanka’s infamous 66 infantry division. On large LED screens, Shavendra Silva was shown airing a COVID-19 awareness campaign.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed an all Sinhalese board to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL).

The HRCSL, which will have no Tamil or Muslim representation, will be headed Jagath Balasuriya. The four other members are Vijitha Nanyakkara, Chandana Udawatta , Harsha Nawaratne and Kumari Balalla.

Tamils from Tamil Nadu marked LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's 66th birthday with celebrations and birthday messages via social media. 

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator, Seeman, cut a cake to mark the LTTE leader's birthday.

A Karthigaipoo, the national flower of Tamil Eelam, was projected on to Britain's Houses of Parliament in Westminster, Central London tonight, as British Tamils paid tribute to those who gave their lives in the Tamil liberation struggle amidst restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The projection lit up the Houses of Parliament with an image of the flower and the words “We Remember” and "We remember the heroes who fought for freedom from Sri Lankan state genocide".

A cake was cut in the Parisian neighbourhood of La Chapelle earlier today as French Tamils celebrated the 66^th birthday of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Sri Lankan army and Nallur police interrogated an elderly Tamil mother who sought to pay homage to her son at the Thiyagi Thileepan Memorial.

The Court of Appeal quashed the summons issued to Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa by the Jaffna Magistrate's Court to testify in a habeas corpus case of two disappeared Tamil youths.