Former Jaffna University Students’ Union President M. Thivakaran and Secretary S. Babilaraj have been acquitted after being detained under Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

On Sunday, the University of Nottingham’s Tamil Society held an event to commemorate Maveerar Naal and pay respects to the sacrifices of those who fought.

Australian Tamils marked the 33^rd Maaveerar Naal by holding a large memorial in Sydney for those who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle.

The event was organised by the Tamil Coordinating Committee.

Tamils in Neduntheevu (Delft Island) defied threats from Sri Lankan security forces to commemorate Maaveerar Naal on Sunday.

Neduntheevu police and navy photographed and threatened individuals gathered together to light lamps for Maaveerar Naal.

A group whom locals allege were armed military personnel also disrupted the event later in the evening and attempted to attack a priest and others.

Several Tamil parties met last week (25) at the residence of TNA leader R Sampanthan to discuss critical issues to achieve a political solution on the island.

The TNA hierarchy invited all Tamil political parties representing the North and East to participate in a discussion scheduled at the residence of its Leader MP R. Sampanthan in Colombo.

All photographs courtesy of Sharmilan Sivakumaran

Hundreds of Tamils marked Maaveerar Naal in Queens, New York yesterday. 

Flowers were laid by a makeshift memorial dedicated to fallen Tamil fighters. There were also a series of speeches and dance performances on the Tamil liberation struggle. 

See more below: 

All photographs courtesy of Thaarakam 

Tamils in Auckland, New Zealand joined Tamils in the homeland and the diaspora to mark Maaveerar Naal. 

Candles were lit and flowers laid by photographs of fallen cadres. 

Thousands of British Tamils gathered at London ExCel yesterday to mark Maaveerar Naal. 

The flag of Tamil Eelam was hoisted while ‘Eruthu Paar Kodi’ the Tamil Eelam flag song was played.

Maaveerar Naal was marked in Italy with large events in cities with significant Tamil communities.

In Palermo, representatives of the Catholic Church and local civil society members attended the commemoration.

Marking the 33rd Maaveerar Naal, French Tamils gathered in Le Grand Dôme in Northern France to hold a memorial in honour of those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom struggle.