Sri Lanka’s president stated that his government would work towards strengthening the military, as he criticised the previous administration for putting “war heroes into jail” in a speech in Colombo today. Maithripala Sirisena was addressing a ceremony in the southern capital marking Sri Lanka’s “National War Heroes’ Day” according to army’s official website , as Tamils across the North-East mourned those killed during the final stages of the island’s armed conflict seven years ago. Colombo though had stated the ceremony would be “celebrated” as a “cultural presentation of victory”, as 400 soldiers stood in formation before Sri Lankan government and military officials. Mr Sirisena, who was accorded a red carpet guard of honour on arrival at the ‘Battaramulla War Heroes’ Monument’, reportedly showed “his deep gratitude to the memory of fallen War Heroes who salvaged the country from LTTE terrorism”.

The end of the armed conflict will be 'celebrated' by the government in a 'cultural presentation of victory' on May 18, according to the website of the defence ministry. The event, titled 'A Reminiscence of Reconciliation', will include the army, navy, air force, civil security department and the police. Held on the day Tamils across the world to mourn the tens of thousands of those who died, the 'celebration' will occur under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena. A government official said the president and the prime minister decided to conduct the event in this way this year in order to build "lasting peace through reconciliation, friendship and brotherhood among the people", defence.lk reported.

The perpetrators of mass atrocities continue to enjoy “total freedom” under the current Sri Lankan government said the Student’s Union at the University of Jaffna, in a statement released to mark 7 years since the massacres of 2009. “The painful thoughts remain as unhealed wounds in our hearts even today, and the memories of this day, that year, recollect in our minds once again,” said the statement. “The justice that was denied for the innocent people who laid down their lives on that day, is now become a covered up justice,” it continued. “Under the guise of good governance, the government has extended total freedom to those who committed these heinous crimes, and without subjecting them to interrogation.”

Northern Provincial Council Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran reiterated that accountability for the mass atrocities committed in 2009 cannot be traded off for politics, in remarks made in Colombo earlier this week. Speaking at the southern capital Justice Wigneswaran responded to questions on accountability by stating it was a “legal question”. “Are we going to have a proper legal machinery to look into the wrongs that have been committed and take necessary steps with regard to that?” he said. “Or are we going to make it into a political thing in order to trade it off?” “Whether it is Tamils saying it or somebody else saying it is not the important thing - these are two different things. There is a political question to be looked in to.” The chief minister went on to call for the victims of the massacres to be taken into consideration. “What about the people who have lost their lives?” he said. “ Who have gone through so much immense hardship at the time when these things happened in Mullaiviakkal. Are we going to forget about all of them? At least let them have the benefit of this being tried out by an international tribunal or forum and come to some decision.”