The Sri Lankan security forces have arrested as many as 10 Tamil men and women under the much-criticised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) earlier today, after the group held a memorial event at a beach in Batticaloa to mark Tamil Genocide Day.

The memorial event saw Tamils gather at the beach in Kalkudah, light a flame of remembrance and lay flowers to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamils killed by Sri Lankan security forces in 2009.

French Tamils gathered in Place de la Bastille, Paris, to commemorate 12 passing since the end of the Mullivaikkal massacre.

During the demonstrations, Tamils paid respect to the victims of Sri Lanka’s genocide and released white balloons to mourn the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed during the final phase of the conflict.

Marking 12 years since the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, the US House Committee for Foreign Affairs has issued a statement highlighting the damning findings of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights which noted “ongoing impunity for human rights violations” and called on member states to consider “alternative accountability mechanisms”.

On Twitter the committee stated:

Tamil youths in Kilinochchi led commemorations of the victims of the massacres at Mullivaikkal on May 18, Tamil Genocide Day.

The youths local to the area of Union Kulam set up a makeshift memorial stand, with red and yellow bunting, and laid flowers and lit candles in memory of the victims of the genocide

Vigils were held in Mannar to mark Tamil Genocide Day and to remember the victims of the massacres at Mullivaikkal.

The civil society group Thamil Thesiya Vaazhvurimai Iyakkam held a memorial service at its premises, attended by the organisation's members and locals.

British politicians from across the political spectrum marked the 12th anniversary since the massacres at Mullivaikkal earlier today, with remarks from the UK foreign secretary and the Labour party leader Keir Starmer calling for sanctions on Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes.

A group of lawmakers from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) marked Tamil Genocide Day at the Sri Lankan parliament complex in Kotte this morning, before a parliamentary session was due to take place.

The parliamentarians dressed in black and lit candles by a red and yellow flag, before holding a moment of silence to commemorate the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed at the hands of the Sri Lankan state 12 years ago.

The Mullivaikkal Commemoration Committee marked the 12th anniversary of the massacre by lighting flame to a memorial lamp opposite a poster. 

The Committee also released the “Mullivaikal Declaration” recounting the Tamil people’s struggle for justice throughout the 12 years since the armed conflict came to an end despite being subjected to intense oppression by the Sri Lankan government. 

The Tamil Youth Organisation (TYO) -UK and 24 Tamil university societies call on the UK government to recognise the Tamil genocide and refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

In a joint statement, marking the 12th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide, they said: 

Students at the University of Jaffna bypassed a heavy army and police presence around the campus to light a flame at the Mullivaikkal monument and mark Tamil Genocide Day today.