The military has blocked off access to the blood donation centre at Jaffna teaching hospital in an attempt to stop people from donating blood as an act of remembrance for those that died in Mullivaikkal in 2009, the Uthayan , reported. Earlier this month, students at the University of Jaffna, which was ordered closed around the time of May 18, donated blood in the memory of the dead.
11:25 BST Armed troops have surrounded the Jaffna office of the Thinakkural newspaper, one of the paper's journalists tweeted within the past hour. The incident comes amidst heavy military presence outside the Uthayan newspaper's office earlier today, with over 50 armed soldiers surrounding the building.
Photo: uthayan A Mullivaikal remembrance event for those that died was carried out amidst military intimidation in the TNA’s office in Batticaloa, reports Uthayan .
The Sri Lankan military has restricted access to Keerimalai, blocking Tamils from entering the town on the Jaffna peninsula, famous for its temple. Events to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of Mullivaikkal at the temple were cancelled as the army blocked all main roads leading to the town, reported GTN .
Illustration Keera Rat nam The following account written by Paul M.M. Cooper is based on survivor interviews to Tamils Against Genocide (TAG). Personal details of Ainkaran (not his real name), place names and dates have been changed to protect his identity. Ainkaran volunteered in a hospital in the contested North East of Sri Lanka when the government began its final offensive on the Tamil separatists. It was 2009, and the outlook was grim for the LTTE. The cadres had set up fortified settlements far behind the frontline in order to escape the artillery of the Sri Lankan Army, but there were some shells, with a range of 3-5km, that could still reach even these safe havens.
Banner reads: "Always with tearful memories, dreams should be realised". Photograph Global Tamil News A Mullivaikal remembrance event was held in Kilinochchi amidst military surveillance reports Global Tamil News . Locals lit candles and placed them at a memorial shrine organised by the TNA in Kilinochchi.
TNPF General Secretary S. Kajendran lights candle of remembrance Mullivaikal was remembered by the TNPF in an undisclosed location today after Sri Lankan military troops surrounded the party office, and prevented people from entering a planned remembrance event, to commemorate those that died at the final stages of the armed conflict.
Photographs @Uthayarasashali M.K. Shivajilingham, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Councillor to the Northern Province, and TNA MP, S. Sritharan, defied the military's ban against Mullivaikal commemorative events at temples holding a memorial event at Nallur temple late this afternoon.
The leader of the Canadian Liberal Party Justin Trudeau, said that it must be acknowledged that peace has not been settled in Sri Lanka, although the armed conflict ended 5 years ago. A statement, released by Mr Trudeau’s office, further said that he would remain committed to achieving accountability and justice for those who had suffered the consequences of the war.
An event to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the armed conflict was marked by Canadian Tamils and politicians at an event in the Canadian parliament. Several MPs and senators spoke at the event on Thursday, hosted by the Canadian Tamil Congress.