Special prayers were held at Selva Sannidhi Murugan temple in Thondaimaanaru on Tuesday, May 12, in remembrance of those who were killed in Mullivaikkal in the final stages of the armed conflict. 

Former parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran has accused the Sri Lankan police of attempting to prevent the implementation of the law out of fear of Sinhala Buddhist clergy, alleging that officers were acting under a “Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist mindset” in relation to the controversial Thaiyiddy Tissa Vihara issue in Jaffna.

A Mullivaikkal remembrance vehicle procession commenced on Tuesday morning from the Thiyaga Theepam Thileepan memorial site, as commemorative events marking the Tamil genocide remembrance week continued across the North-East.

The procession began at approximately 9.00 a.m. on May 12, with members of the public, civil society activists, and political representatives gathering at the memorial despite heavy rainfall in the area.

Former Sri Lankan president and accused war criminal Mahinda Rajapaksa appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) on Tuesday (May 12) to record a statement in connection with the controversial Airbus aircraft procurement deal involving SriLankan Airlines.

Rajapaksa left the Bribery Commission premises after nearly two hours, following the recording of his statement before investigators.

An event marking the beginning of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week commenced on Monday (May 11) in Valikamam South as the Tamil nation commemorates 17 years since the genocide at Mullivaikkal. 

The remembrance event was held in front of the council premises at a specially established Mullivaikkal memorial centre, where floral tributes were paid in memory of those who were killed by Sri Lanka's armed forces in Mullivaikkal in the final months of the armed conflict.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader, C. Joseph Vijay was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu on Sunday during a ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar administered the oath of office and secrecy to Vijay, who assumed office after TVK emerged as the single largest party in the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly election and secured the backing of 120 MLAs in the 234-member House. 

An 88-foot Buddha statue newly constructed at the Nainativu Rajamaha Viharaya in Nainativu, Jaffna, was ceremonially unveiled this week, drawing large numbers of Sinhala Buddhist devotees from southern Sri Lanka.

Members of the Batticaloa Municipal Council marked Mullivaikkal Remembrance Week during the council’s monthly sitting on 7 May, wearing black ribbons and paying tribute to Tamils who were killed during the final stages of the armed conflict in 2009.