The leader of the British opposition Jeremy Corbyn expressed his solidarity with the Tamil people and reiterated calls for justice and self determination, in a message released to mark the 7th year anniversary since the massacres at Mullivaikkal.

“I offer my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and loved ones of those that died during the final days and weeks of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict,” said Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“My thoughts today are also with the wider Tamil community who have shouldered injustice for decades and remain resolute in their determination for justice.”

“We will stand with you in your pursuit of truth, justice, accountability, reconciliation and self-determination in Sri Lanka.”

Sinhalese intelligence officers forcefully entered the Uthayan newspaper offices in Jaffna on Wednesday, whilst its employees were holding a blood donation event to commemorate the Mullivaikal massacres of 2009.

When questioned by Uthayan staff, the officers said that they were from the Sri Lankan police and were present to take pictures.

Marking the 7th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre, the UK Conservative party renewed its call for justice for the Tamils that were killed at the end of the armed conflict in 2009.

"Today we remember the thousands of Tamils who lost their lives seven years ago in the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka," the party's vice chairman, Robert Halfon said in a statement on Wednesday.

 

Members of the Tamil National People’s Front lit candles at Mullivaikkal earlier today, commemorating the lives los

A temporary statue was erected in Mullivaikkal on Wednesday afternoon by families of the dead, in memory of their loved ones.

The failure to acknowledge crimes committed in Sri Lanka “is a continuing injury” to victims, writes human rights lawyer Kate Cronin-Furman in the Washington Post.

Stating that “Sri Lanka has yet to face its past,” she said “to those in the south, these crimes may seem distant and forgettable”.

“For families still searching for information about their missing loved ones, though, they’re a glaring fact of everyday life,” she added.

A remembrance service for May 18 was observed by Tamil political leaders in Trincomalee on Wednesday morning.

Tamils in Trincomalee commemorated May 18 on Wednesday.

The event brought together religious leaders and civil society members across Trinco.

Sri Lanka’s president stated that his government would work towards strengthening the military, as he criticised the previous administration for putting “war heroes into jail” in a speech in Colombo today.

Maithripala Sirisena was addressing a ceremony in the southern capital marking Sri Lanka’s “National War Heroes’ Day” according to army’s official website, as Tamils across the North-East mourned those killed during the final stages of the island’s armed conflict seven years ago.

Colombo though had stated the ceremony would be “celebrated” as a “cultural presentation of victory”, as 400 soldiers stood in formation before Sri Lankan government and military officials.

Mr Sirisena, who was accorded a red carpet guard of honour on arrival at the ‘Battaramulla War Heroes’ Monument’, reportedly showed “his deep gratitude to the memory of fallen War Heroes who salvaged the country from LTTE terrorism”.

An accountability mechanism in Sri Lanka for mass atrocities committed during the final stages of the island’s armed conflict must have “meaningful engagement” of international judges, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.

The end of the armed conflict will be 'celebrated' by the government in a 'cultural presentation of victory' on May 18, according to the website of the defence ministry.

The event, titled 'A Reminiscence of Reconciliation', will include the army, navy, air force, civil security department and the police.

Held on the day Tamils across the world to mourn the tens of thousands of those who died, the 'celebration' will occur under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and President Maithripala Sirisena.

A government official said the president and the prime minister decided to conduct the event in this way this year in order to build "lasting peace through reconciliation, friendship and brotherhood among the people", defence.lk reported.