Crowds have begun to gather this morning at Mullivaikkal memorial ground ahead of the remembrance event planned to start at 11am local time. School students and families of the disappeared who have been holding continous protests held out May 18 rosettes. 

Schools across the Northern province flew the Northern Provincial Council flag at half mast today marking Tamil Genocide Day. 

Earlier this week the NPC education minister has sent a circular to all schools requesting them to hold a moment's silence at 11am in memory of the tens of thousands who were killed by Sri Lankan state forces at the end of the armed conflict. 

Businesses across the North-East remained shut this morning to mark May 18 as 'Tamil Genocide Day', remembering the tens of thousands of Tamils massacred by the Sri Lankan state during the end of the armed conflict in 2009. 

Traders in Puthukudiyiruppu closed their shops and set up a memorial for the victims with black bunting and flowers in memory of the lives lost. 

Students at the University of Jaffna gathered outside its grounds this morning before embarking on a motorbike procession in memory of the tens of thousands of Tamils slaughtered by Sri Lankan state forces at the end of the armed conflict in 2009. 

Marking Tamil Genocide Day, the Northern Provincial Council member, T Ravikaran scattered flowers across Nandikadal lagoon at sunrise. 

The Northern Provincial Council has declared today as a day of mourning for the Tamil people. 

The leader of the British opposition Jeremy Corbyn committed to including fundamental Tamil issues in any future election manifesto whilst speaking at a Tamil genocide memorial event, organised by Tamils for Labour.

The remembrance event, which took place on Wednesday at the Houses of Parliament,  was chaired by Sen Kandiah of Tamils for Labour and Siobhain McDonagh MP.

Speaking at the Mullivaikkal massacre remembrance event Mr Corbyn said,

Human bones have been found in an excavation site on Wednesday in Mannar after work began to erect a new entrance way in the town. 

The bones were first discovered within sand that had been excavated from the site and sold on to local residents earlier this year. 

An album with songs paying tribute to the victims of the final stages of the war was released on Mullivaikkal beach on Thursday.

A Mannar businessman, who narrowly survived serious injury after being shot at by a gang of 8 men today, has alleged that police officers called to the scene helped the culprits escape. 

Mr Jaysuthasan Swamipillai said 8 men arrived to his home at 9pm on Thursday evening by car and attempted to shoot at him. After missing the aim, the men tried to run away in their vehicle however the engine was not starting. 

Mr Jaysuthasan called the police during this time. However, when the police officers arrived they helped the men restart their car and allowed them to escape before investigating the crime scene, he told reporters. 

The penultimate day of Mullivaikkal Week was marked in various places in the East on Thursday.