Over 400 people from various villages in Salem, Tamil Nadu, held a candle-light vigil for Maveerar Naal in the village of Puliyoor, reports the Times of India. Marking a 21-year-old tradition, men, women and children gathered at the ‘Ponnammaan Memorial Bus Shelter’, holding candles and singing songs in praise of Eelam and the nation’s heroes. Mrs Kanagarathinam from nearby Mettur Dam who attended the event with her husband Mullaivendan said: "The (LTTE) cadres fought for the rights and died for the Sri Lankan Tamils. We salute them for their sacrifice."
Today, the 27th November, in every corner of the world, Eelam Tamils join together in an act of remembrance. From a Gloriosa lily proudly affixed onto a coat lapel, to the collective events of remembrance held in capitals worldwide, to the daring posters reported in the North-East, today the nation remembers. For the Eelam nation, there are of course many days of national remembrance and reflection across the year. After all, it should come as no surprise that a nation ravaged by persecution, genocide and armed conflict, is in a state of frequent grief and mourning. Yet today - Maaveerar Naal - is set apart from all other occasions. It remembers not the finality of death, but the solemnity of sacrifice.
The Sri Lankan military has been increasing its brutal quashing of all remembrance acts in the North-East according to several reports. Following on from reports of remembrance posters being taken down by the military in the North-East, the Daily Mirror reports that five people have been arrested in Akkaraipatuwa, in connection with the posters. TamilNet reports on attempts to intimidate and suppress acts of remembrance across the North-East, including the widespread deployment of the military and navy to threaten Tamils into submission.
Jaffna University is experiencing a disproportionately high presence of security forces today as troops and police flocked to the campus to prevent any commemoration of Remembrance Day. The forces extended their presence as far as the male's hostel as well as interrogating passers-by in the vicinity surrounding the campus. There have also been reports of unidentified motorcyclists threatening students at gunpoint to refrain from commemorating the day.
According to Jaffna-based newspaper Uthayan, pistol carrying intelligence officers from the Sri Lankan army have increased their presence in Jaffna university. The paper reported that students were threatened with pistols and warned against partaking in events to commemorate National Heroes Day. On Monday evening students at Jaffna University reportedly posted several posters commemorating National Remembrance day which were taken down by military personnel immediately. See the report from Uthayan here .
Updated 22 : 10 GMT Tens of thousands of Tamils poured into the Excel centre today, to mark the Maaveerar Naal - the Eelam's national day of remembrance - and honour those who died for in the struggle for freedom. Decorated in the nation's colours of red and yellow, the venue had a replica Thuyilum Illam in front of the stage, with a wall of photographs of Maaveerar along either side. A trio of life size tombstones with a flame flying in the centre, was ceremoniously draped with the national flag. At the back, a huge revolving column mosaiced with the faces of the nation's Maaveerar was...
Photographs Uthayan The Sri Lankan military and intelligence personnel raided the Balasingham hostel and Ananthakumaraswamy hostel at Jaffna university, after students lit a lamp of sacrifice to commemorate Maaveerar Naal, reports Uthayan. According to the newspaper, the military had been roaming the university through out the day since students celebrated the birthday of V. Prabhakaran on Monday. At 6:05pm, as the students lit the lamp of sacrifice, military personnel, armed with guns and batons stormed the two boys' hostels attacked everyone they came across.
Speaking at the recently held " Y o uth Maaveerar Naal " in London, Imperial College London s tudent Visakan Balakumar called on his fellow university students to intensify the struggle against genocide during a speech on behal f of his university's Tamil Society. The speech has been reproduced in full bel ow. " Dear ladies and gentleman. We gather here today to remember those brave souls who gave their lives. Those brave souls who gave their lives for us, for our homeland and our nation. Their selfless acts of bravery in the line of duty mark some of the greatest achievements in the history of the Eelam Tamil nation, our Eelam Tamil nation.
Published 00:32 GMT Tamil students across Canada came together to remember the nation's great heroes on 25th November and mark the commencing of Tamil Eelam Heroes Remembrance Week. The remembrance event started at 6pm local time. Watch the event live here .
The Sri Lankan government has issued a statement calling on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to “display restraint and avoid civilian casualties” earlier this week. See the full statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs below. “Sri Lanka is deeply concerned and disturbed at the recent serious escalation of violence in Gaza and deeply regrets the loss of lives and the great suffering experienced by the people of Palestine. Sri Lanka strongly believes the use of force and militaristic threats should be halted and that there is no alternative to the peaceful resolution of the...