(Photos: @UthayanPrint)

 

Staff at the Uthayan newspaper held an event remembering those that lost their lives in the last phase of the conflict at their office in Jaffna.

(All photos: Tamil Guardian)

A memorial event for the Tamils that died in the last phase of the conflict was held in Trincomalee town.

The event, led by the Bishop of Trincomalee, was attended by members of the Christian and Hindu clergy.

Locals gathered at the May 18 remembrance event in Puthtukkudiyiruppu, a town which saw some of the heaviest fighting between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan army during the closing stages of the armed conflict.

The proceedings were led by the Northern Provincial Council's fisheries and transport minister P Deniswaran, who lit the sacrificial flame.

A memorial event for those who lost their lives during the last phase of the armed conflict was held at Kilinochchi's Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) hall.

Parliamentarian S Sritharan of the Tamil National Alliance led the proceedings.

Officials from the PS and several civilians also took part in the event, which commenced with the lighting of the traditional flame.

(Photos: @Mari_deSilva)

Several relatives of Tamils who died in the last phase of the war gathered in Mullivaikkal for an interfaith memorial service.

There was heavy surveillance by police and intelligence officers, who were filming all participants, according to activists who were tweeting from the event.

Police in uniform and civil requested details of foreign media and foreign participants who were present at the service, Colombo-based human rights activist Ruki Fernando tweeted.

(All photos: @watchdog_SL)

A Catholic priest who died on May 18 2009, while leading Tamils away from the conflict zone into army-held territory was remembered, alongside others who lost their lives in the last phase of the armed conflict, at a monument dedicated to him in Kilinochchi.

Father Mariyampillai Sarathjeevan, popularly known as Father Sara, is said to have died of a heart attack, although some reports indicate he was severely assaulted by Sri Lankan soldiers.

Updated 10:30 17.05.15

A Sri Lankan court has banned the commemoration of May 18 at Mullivaikkal, the scene of the worst atrocities during the last phase of the armed conflict in 2009.

Members of the Northern Provincial Council and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) have been informed of the ban by Mullaitivu Magistrate Court, who said no events are allowed to be held in Mullivaikkal for a further 14 days.

NPC Councillor for Mullaitivu T Ravikaran said the police delivered a letter to his house at around 21:30 on Saturday, prohibiting them from holding the event. He then contacted a senior police official, who informed him it was an order from the court, the councillor told the Tamil Guardian in the early hours of Sunday.

The TNPF also received a letter from the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court on Saturday, banning the organisation from hosting the event in the village which saw the end of the armed conflict and the massacre of thousands, on May 18. When the TNPF inquired into the reasons behind the ban, TNPF leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, was told that the event risked causing a ‘breach of peace.’

A majority of Tamil refugees In Tamil Nadu do not wish  to return to Sri Lanka due to interrogation fears, said Sri Lanka’s minister for Resettlement, DM Swaminathan.

A group of Sri Lankan MPs will hold a ‘Victory Day’ event in Colombo on May 19 reports Ceylon Today.

At least 15 ministers in Sri Lanka’s parliament are expected to leave their portfolios to work with MPs that support Mahinda Rajapaksa, to bring the former president back into mainstream politics, reports Ceylon Today.