A flame was lit at the banks of Nandikadal lagoon on Wednesday to mark the first day of Mullivaikkal remembrance week.
Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) youth wing leader Peter IIlancheliyan lit the flame amidst heightened Sri Lankan security force presence.
May 18th, also known as Tamil Genocide day, will mark twelve years since the the genocidal military offensive which saw the massacre of tens of thousands of Tamils, in the weeks leading up to May 18, 2009. Every year in the lead up to the date, Sri Lanka's secuirty forces ramp up their surveillance and intimidation of Tamils as they prepare and participate in commemoration events.
