Residents in Ponnalai, Valikaamam West and Kurumpasiddy, Valikaamam North remembered those massacred by Sri Lankan state forces in 2009 at local events yesterday evening. 

Gathering at their respective villages, a lamp was lit and a moment of silence held in memory of those who were killed. 

Sri Lankan soldiers posted in the Tamil homeland, handed out drinks to Tamils on their way to commemoration ceremonies for those massacred by the very same security forces yesterday.

The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party called for “accountability for those responsible for the genocide” in a message released to mark Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day on Friday.

Jagmeet Singh said “tens of thousands of innocent lives were tragically lost in unspeakable acts of violence and genocide”.

“The trauma of the conflict and loss of life is an intergenerational struggle that the Tamil community in Canada and around the world continue to deal with,” he added. “Despite this historical trauma, the Tamil community’s resiliency has ensured that their people and culture not only live on, but thrive here in Canada.”

Rohingya Muslims held an event on Friday to show solidarity with Tamils around the world, marking Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day and commemorating 9 years since the massacres at Mullivaikkal.

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena tweeted a message expressing his “deep gratitude” to Sri Lankan soldiers on “Victory Day” yesterday.

The message was soon removed and reposted without the #VictoryDaySL hashtag.

Tamils in the UK held events on Friday to mark the 9th anniversary of the genocide of tens of thousands of Tamils by Sri Lankan state forces at the end of the armed conflict in 2009. 

Jaffna University students held a memorial yesterday evening at the suspended Mullivaikkal monument on campus.

Children from two Tamil preschools were taken around the Jaffna Security Force Headquarters in the occupied high security zone of Palali, yesterday on Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, which Tamils across the North-East observed as a day of mourning.

Tamils gathered at Mullivaikkal memorial ground today to remember the tens of thousands slaughtered during the final stages of the armed conflict. 

Holding photos of their loved ones, families, students, faith leaders and NPC members gathered at the grounds to light candles and lay flowers. 

People For Equality and Relief in Sri Lanka (PEARL) condemned Western governments for failing to act on Sri Lanka’s “empty commitments and meaningless platitudes" and reiterated the need for an international justice mechanism, expressing solidarity with Tamils across the globe commemorate Tamil Genocide Day.