Sri Lanka's minister of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said the government was looking to introduce changes to the law to 'protect' Buddhist religious sites. 

The laws would give authorities the power to penalise individuals who vandalise Buddhist sites, he added. 

Members of the Tamil People's National Front (TNPF) held a blood donation drive on Sunday, in memory of those who had been killed by Sri Lankan state forces during the final stages of the armed conflict in 2009. 

Locals gathered in the town of Muttur in Trincomalee on Friday, to mark 9 years since tens of thousands of Tamils were massacred by Sri Lankan state forces.

Local journalists, civil society activists and students gathered in Gandhi Park in Batticaloa on Friday to remember those who were killed in Mullivaikkal 9 years ago.

Hundreds of people, including school children gathered in Kilinochchi on Friday, to remember those killed by Sri Lankan state forces.

Events were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Western Australia on Friday marking 9 years since the massacres at Mullivaikkal, where tens of thousands of Tamils were killed by Sri Lankan state forces.

Tamils across Europe commemorated Tamil Genocide day on Friday. 

In Switzerland Tamils gathered in town squares to remember those that were killed in the final stages of the war. 

The 9th anniversary of the slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamils by Sri Lankan forces was remembered by locals in Amparai. 

Residents in Ponnalai, Valikaamam West and Kurumpasiddy, Valikaamam North remembered those massacred by Sri Lankan state forces in 2009 at local events yesterday evening. 

Gathering at their respective villages, a lamp was lit and a moment of silence held in memory of those who were killed. 

Sri Lankan soldiers posted in the Tamil homeland, handed out drinks to Tamils on their way to commemoration ceremonies for those massacred by the very same security forces yesterday.

The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party called for “accountability for those responsible for the genocide” in a message released to mark Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day on Friday.

Jagmeet Singh said “tens of thousands of innocent lives were tragically lost in unspeakable acts of violence and genocide”.

Rohingya Muslims held an event on Friday to show solidarity with Tamils around the world, marking Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day and commemorating 9 years since the massacres at Mullivaikkal.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena tweeted a message expressing his “deep gratitude” to Sri Lankan soldiers on “Victory Day” yesterday.

The message was soon removed and reposted without the #VictoryDaySL hashtag.

Tamils in the UK held events on Friday to mark the 9th anniversary of the genocide of tens of thousands of Tamils by Sri Lankan state forces at the end of the armed conflict in 2009.