Final preparations for Maaveerar Naal were completed on Monday at thuyilum illams, LTTE cemeteries, across the Tamil homeland.

Batticaloa residents were intimidated by police during their work at Maavadi Munmari thuyilum illam and were also told that the Batticaloa magistrate judge had banned the display of LTTE flags. Police collected the details of all those involved in clearing work at the cemetery.

The Kayts magistrate declined to issue a ban on Maaveerar Naal commemorations at Chatty thuyilum illam although ordered a ban on LTTE flags or images with LTTE uniform being displayed.

Kayts police had filed a petition requesting a blanket ban on commemorations at the destroyed LTTE cemetery by Chatty beach on Velanai island.

While the judge said on Monday that there was no ban remembering the dead he stipulated that the specified LTTE insignia should not be displayed.

Final preparations at Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam, the major LTTE cemetery in Kilinochchi, have been completed in advance of Maaveerar Naal.

The Kanagapuram Thuyilum Illam has held particular significance as a symbol of mobilisation and resistance around Tamil memorialisation efforts, becoming the first place since the end of the war where Maaveerar Naal was commemorated publicly on a large scale two years ago.

Almost four years into the ‘good governance’ government, Sri Lanka’s image of stability and progress unravelled last month in a day. President Sirisena’s sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa followed by the dissolving of parliament and call for fresh elections, ended any semblance of stability. Revealed instead was disregard for the country’s constitution and rule of law, bribery, violence and an entrenched racism which habitually blames Tamils for the state’s woes. Sri Lanka’s latest descent into turmoil highlights once again the simmering crisis of unresolved ethnic conflict that remains at the island’s core. 

It is amid the island’s political uncertainty that Eelam Tamils look to commemorate Maaveerar Naal (Tamil Remembrance Day) tomorrow.

<p>Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena said Ranil Wickremesinghe would not be appointed prime minister, stating that he is “highly corrupt” and accused him of pursuing “an extremely liberal form of government that is not compatible with our culture".</p> <p>"Even if the UNP has the majority, I told them not to bring Ranil Wickremesinghe before me,” Sirisena told foreign reporters in Colombo on Sunday. “I will not make him prime minister ... not in my lifetime," he added.</p> <p>“There is a tradition that the person appointed PM should be able to work with the president. I cannot work with Ranil. The UNP will have to bring somebody else."</p>

Jaffna University students embarked on their final preparations for Maaveerar Naal, the Tamil national remembrance day for fallen fighters, today.

Red and yellow flags marking Tamil national colours where hung across the campus, with the university's Maaveerar monument receiving fresh coats of paint and a newly constructed entrance gate.

The miniature entrance gate which was newly erected for this year's event, resembles the towering entrance gates of the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cemeteries, which were bulldozed by Sri Lankan forces at the end of the armed conflict. 

<p>Sri Lanka's rupee fell to a new historic low today of 180.40 against the dollar as the country's political crisis continues.&nbsp;</p> <p>According to data published by Refinitiv Eikon the rupee has fallen 17.2 percent this year.&nbsp;</p> <p>Last week the finance ministry sought to reassure lenders that debt repayments would be made amid increasing concern of economic collapse.&nbsp;</p> <p>The International Monetary Fund has confirmed that discussions regarding its next loan tranche to Sri Lanka had been delayed due to the island’s deteriorating political crisis.</p>

Tamil students in Berlin held an awareness exhibition last week, as part of commemorative events to mark Maaveerar Naal this month.

Students at the Technical University of Berlin held the exhibition over several days last week as part of an awareness raising campaign.

North-East newspapers carried features on the birthday of the LTTE leader V Prabhakaran today on their front pages this morning. 

 

Sri Lankan authorities have reportedly arrested at least 4 Tamil youth outside LTTE leader V Prabhakaran’s home earlier today, amidst a heavy security presence in the region.