British Tamils mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day

Tamils held events across the UK on May 18 to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day. 

London 

Thousands of Tamils gathered at Parliament Square to remember the victims of the Tamil genocide.

In April 2009, thousands of British Tamils occupied the same square as Sri Lanka intensified its military offensive which led to the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils in Mullivaikkal.

The protesters then marched through the city of London, calling on the UK government to hold Sri Lanka accountable for the many human rights violations it committed throughout the armed conflict. 

 

 

 

 

 

The protest ended outside of Downing Street, where the national flag of Tamil Eelam was raised and a moment of silence was observed for the victims of the genocide. 

“Today we honour those we lost not with silence, but with purpose,” said a member of the Tamil Youth Organisation.

“Let their memory guide us, strengthen us and remind the world that the Tamil struggle lives on,” she added.

Tamils laid flowers at a makeshift grave and kanji was served to remember all of the Tamils who perished in Mullivaikkal. 

 

Hundreds of Tamils also gathered in Trafalgar Square to commemorate the Tamil genocide. 

The event saw a wide range of speeches, musical and dance performances to mark the day. Tamils laid flowers at portraits of Tamils who were killed in the final stage of the armed conflict. 

An exhibition was also set up on the square, detailing the cycles of violence Tamils in the North-East have been subjected to since 1948 and the ongoing Sinhalisation of the homeland. 

Mullivaikkal kanji was served to conclude the event. 

 

 

 

 

 

Oxford 

The Tamil genocide was also commemorated by hundreds of British Tamils in Oxford. 

 

Liverpool 

Tamils in Liverpool held a remembrance event and laid flowers to remember the victims of the Tamil genocide. 

 

London

Also in London, a commemoration event was hosted by Phoenix TNG at the Kurdish Community Centre.

The event saw a screening of the documentary "No Fire Zone", followed by a panel event featuring Dr Madura Rasaratnam, Dr Thusiyan Nandakumar and Dr Andy Higginbottom.

See our live tweets from the event here and photographs below.