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Mullaitivu Court bans commemoration event

18 May 2021

  • Heavy police, military presence at memorial site

  • Diaspora goes virtual

  • Govternment to hold only religious observances

By Pamodi Waravita   The Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court yesterday (17) banned the commemoration of those who were killed due to the last stages of the civil war in Mullivaikkal on Remembrance Day which falls today (18). The Mullaitivu District Police Station yesterday told The Morning that the court has banned all events at the Mullivaikkal War Memorial today and that stay orders had been issued on 42 persons. Speaking to The Morning yesterday, North-East Mullivaikkal Memorial Forum Co-Chair Fr. Leo Armstrong said a motion had been filed by a few lawyers to obtain permission for a small Remembrance Day event to be held in Mullivaikkal, in accordance with the prevailing Covid-19 health guidelines. According to Fr. Armstrong, the security around the Mullivaikkal War Memorial was tightened yesterday. “It was guarded by the Police, but now we hear that the military is there as well,” added Fr. Armstrong. A memorial stone that was brought to Mullivaikkal by the Forum, in preparation for the remembrance of the victims of the last stages of the Sri Lankan civil conflict in 2009 on 18 May, disappeared on 13 May morning. The Mullivaikkal War Memorial was also destroyed on the same day. Although allegations were levelled against the Army for both the disappearance and the destruction, Military Spokesman Brig. Nilantha Premaratne denied these claims. Speaking to The Morning earlier this week, Illankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam stressed the right to remember and memorialisation, emphasising that it is an important step towards reconciliation. “I do not see why the Government is so afraid of the Tamil community remembering their loved ones. People who have lived here for thousands of years must have the right to remember their dead,” noted Rasamanickam. Elsewhere, representing the Tamil Diaspora, the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) held their “May Mullivaikkal Memorial” event virtually on 16 May due to the pandemic this year. The CTC held a multi-faith service “remembering the vanished voices and for the innocent lives lost in Sri Lanka’s war”. Meanwhile, The Morning reported yesterday that due to the prevalent Covid-19 situation in the country, the Government has also decided to hold only religious observances to commemorate War Victory Day which falls today.


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