Hundreds of Tamils gathered in the capital city Oslo to remember those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom for Tamils.
Sri Lankan police summoned Tamils for interrogation on Wednesday, after their children were dressed as Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, as part of Maaveerar Naal commemorations this week. On Monday, Tamils gathered outside Koppay Thuyilum Illam, an LTTE cemetery which was destroyed and built over by the Sri Lankan army’s 51st Division, to commemorate Maaveerar Naal. Read more: Tamils defy Sri Lankan crackdown to remember their heroes - Maaveerar Naal 2023 As part of the remembrance ceremonies, flames were lit and songs played as thousands gathered to pay tribute to the men and...
Sri Lanka has reportedly reached an agreement with the Official Credit Committee, formed of 17 countries including the US and UK, on debt restructuring as it continues to grapple with an economic crisis. The agreement established the "main parameters of debt treatment" and aligns with the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangements between Sri Lanka and the IMF - a badly needed bailout loan for Colombo. The EFF had previously depended on Sri Lanka securing an agreement with its creditors. This arrangement will allow IMF staff to present the first review of Sri Lanka's EFF deal and may...
The day after Maaveerar Naal was commemorated across the Tamil North-East, stories on the remembrance events and the Sri Lankan police crackdown on them dominated the Tamil press on the island. Eelanadu led with the headline “Thousands of Tamils gather in defiance of bans to pay tribute in scenes of great emotional outpouring on heroes' day”. The lead photograph showed an aerial view of thousands marking Maaveerar Naal in Mullaitivu. “Massive outpouring of emotions across the north and east yesterday as thousands partake in great heroes' events,” said Kaalakkathir . The Kaalai Murasu headline...
In a wide-ranging interview by First Post, Sri Lanka’s president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, claimed that Tamils have accepted his "offer" on the subject of Tamil autonomy and rejected India’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council that "progress has been inadequate".
Thousands of Tamils gathered in Nallur on Monday to commemorate Maaveerar Naal and pay tribute to those who died for the liberation of Tamil Eelam. See photographs and video from the event in Nallur below.
Sri Lankan police officers disrupted and blocked Tamils trying to mark Maaveerar Naal in Alankulam, Trincomalee yesterday. A group of Tamil youth and mothers were stopped by Sri Lankan police as they tried to make their way to Alankulam Thuyilum Illam to pay their respects to fallen LTTE cadres. However, the police put up roadblocks to obstruct them accessing the LTTE cemetery. The group then proceeded to light lamps at the roadside to remember those who gave their lives in the liberation struggle but were again disrupted by police officers who wouldn't let them pay their respects. The video...
Students and family members gathered to remember the Ayyankkulam massacre in Mullaitivu, where 6 students and 2 healthcare workers were killed by the Sri Lankan army.
Hundreds of Tamils in Oxford, England, joined Tamils in the homeland and across the diaspora in marking Maaveerar Naal. A similar event was also held at the ExCel convention centre in London yesterday. See more photographs from Oxford below:
A young Tamil man has been arrested in Jaffna today for wearing a t-shirt with LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran's face on the front. The 27 year old from Iyanar Kovil in Kodikamam had worn the t-shirt to a Maaveerar Naal remembrance event in Kodikamam yesterday evening. The back of the t-shirt also featured the leaper tiger and crossed bayonets from the Tamil Eelam flag on the back. The man was arrested by Sri Lanka's military intelligence branch and handed over to the Kodikamam police for further investigations. Kodikamam police are also investigating the organisers of the commemoration...