Theeruvil, Vadamarachchi 

Final preparations were underway this morning at Thuyilum Illams and memorial sites across the North-East ahead of commemorative events marking Tamil National Remembrance Day (Maaveerar Naal) today. 

Several people gathered outside the site of a destroyed LTTE cemetery in Kodikamam, Jaffna to commemorate the Tamil Remembrance Day.

NPC Councillor Shivajilingam led the event at the site, now occupied by a military camp.

Several soldiers were seen taking pictures of all those participating.

Sri Lankan military officers stationed in vehicles next to Koappay Thuyilum Illam photographed Tamils who had arrived to light a lamp ahead of this evening's commemoration of Tamil National Remembrance Day (Maaveerar Naal).

Students across the North-East gathered at Eastern University in Batticaloa and at the University of the Jaffna this morning to mark Maaveerar Naal. 

Maaveerar Naal commemorations started in Nallur this morning at the destroyed memorial of Lt Col Thileepan.

The sacrificial flame was lit by Jeyakumari, the mother of three martyrs and one disappeared son.

Sri Lanka’s prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered the halting of work to restore destroyed Tamil cemeteries in the North-East that were initially constructed by the LTTE to remember the Tamil war dead, reports the dailymirror.lk. 

Upon orders of the prime minister, the State Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Niroshan Perera announced that an investigation would be launched into the matter.

Today on Maaveerar Naal Tamils around the world gather in memory of those who died fighting Sri Lankan state oppression. Emboldened by the thousands that gathered at destroyed LTTE resting homes (Thuyilum Illams) last year, preparations this year have been on the largest scale since the end of the armed conflict. Tamils across the North-East have braved intimidation from the military and intelligence personnel to clear and decorate Thuyilum Illams. This November has like those past seen a deliberate campaign of fear-mongering by the police, justifying the deployment of extra officers through citing an alleged rise in gang violence, which conveniently seems to rear its head this time each year.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Tilak told Sri Lankan press that China fully endorsed joint ventures that Sri Lanka was launching with India.

Speaking to dailymirror.lk, Mr Marapana said political elements were trying to misinterpret Sri Lanka’s warm links with China and India.

Speaking on his recent visit to China, where he met vice-premier Wang Yen, he said,

Tamils in Myanmar commemorated Maaveerar Naal with a candlelit ceremony this week.

The remembrance event, organised by the Tamil Youth Association took place in Yangon.

The British Tamils Forum marked Maaveerar Naal, and called for full implementation of the UNHRC resolution on accountability and reconciliation.

In a statement released Friday, the organisation condemned the ongoing “military occupation” of the Tamil North-East.  

Marking the “immense sacrifices made by the fallen heroes and the sacrifices made by the ordinary Tamil civilians,” the organisation pledged to “continue their struggle, keeping in mind the political aims of those who sacrificed” adding,