Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day

Remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamils (May 18)

Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day

Tamil women and children seen grieving in Mullivaikkal (2016)

Official name| முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் நினைவு நாள்
Also called| Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day
Observed by| Sri Lankan Tamils[1]
Significance| End of the Sri Lankan Civil War and to commemorate the war dead
Date| 18 May
Next time| 18 May 2026 (2026-05-18)
Frequency| Annual
Related to| Remembrance Day

Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day (or simply Mullivaikkal Day; Tamil: முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் நினைவு நாள் Muḷḷivāykkāl Niṉaivu Nāḷ) is a remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamils to remember those who were killed during the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War. It is held each year on 18 May, the date on which the civil war ended in 2009, and is named after Mullivaikkal, a village on the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka which was the scene of the final battle of the civil war and the site of the Mullivaikkal massacre.

## History

[edit]

Labour Party MP Charles Chauvel lighting a candle on Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day 2010 in Wellington, New Zealand Uthayan staff donating blood on Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day 2013 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan Civil War was an armed conflict where the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) led an insurgency against the Sri Lankan government to create an independent state in the Tamil-majority northeastern regions of Sri Lanka called Tamil Eelam. By 2007, the civil war had cost an estimated 70,000 lives.[2] Amongst those killed, Sri Lankan Tamils alone made up a total of 54,053 deaths and 25,266 Sri Lankan Tamils went missing or "disappeared".[3] The final months of the civil war, between late 2008 and early 2009, witnessed particularly brutal fighting between the Sri Lanka Army and the LTTE.[4][5] Around 300,000 civilians were trapped between the two sides.[6] Both sides committed and were accused of major human rights violations.[7]

The civil war ended on 18 May 2009 with the killing of Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder and leader of the LTTE.[8] A United Nations report found that as many as 40,000 Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final months of the civil war, mostly as a result of indiscriminate shelling by the Sri Lankan military.[9][10][11] There are widespread allegations that both sides committed atrocities and human rights violations, including war crimes.[12][13][14] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is currently investigating the alleged war crimes.[15][16]

### Commemoration banned

[edit]

The Sri Lankan government, which formerly declared 18 May as Victory Day, celebrates the day with military parades.[17] The day is also a commemoration for dead military personnel who are celebrated as "war heroes".[18] However, there was no official commemoration for the thousands of Tamil civilians killed in the civil war despite the government's own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission recommending that all citizens killed during the war be commemorated on National Day (4 February).[19][20] Instead, the government has virtually banned Tamils from commemorating their war dead.[21][22] In the run up to 18 May, security is tightened in the Tamil-majority Northern and Eastern provinces and schools and universities are closed to prevent any public commemoration.[23][24][25]

The government and its security forces regard any commemoration by Tamils to be commemoration of the LTTE, not civilians.[26] The security forces claim that Tamils may commemorate dead LTTE members in private but there have been reports of the military entering homes to prevent commemoration.[27][28]

Under the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, 18 May was known as Victory day, but when Maithripala Sirisena came to power in 2015 the date was renamed as Remembrance day.[29] The date was also moved to 19 May.[30]

## Commemorations

[edit]

Despite the security restrictions, Tamils in Sri Lanka hold small events on 18 May, which they call Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, to commemorate those killed.[31][32][33] Public commemorations are dealt with harshly by Sri Lankan security forces,[34][35] and Sri Lankan Tamil politicians have been arrested for commemorating Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day.[36][37]

In the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, political parties, youth organizations, and social movement groups organize a number of remembrance events across the state.[38][39][40]

Amongst the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora, where there are no restrictions on commemorating Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, large public gatherings are held.[41][42][43][44]

In 2022, the Parliament of Canada adopted a motion to mark May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.[45] In 2023, Mayor of Brampton Patrick Brown commemorated Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day with a ground breaking for a Tamil Genocide monument to be built in the city of Brampton.[46]

## See also

[edit]

* Maaveerar Naal
* Mullivaikal Muttram

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day - 2022: Reminiscing the dead in final battle 2009 - News Features". Daily Mirror. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
2. ^ Buerk, Roland (16 July 2007). "Defiant Tigers cling to last bastion". BBC News.
3. ^ "Recorded figures of Arrests, Killings, Disappearances". www.tchr.net. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
4. ^ Harrison, Frances (11 October 2012). "The broken survivors of Sri Lanka's civil war". BBC News.
5. ^ "UN chief announces Sri Lanka trip". United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Agence France Presse. 19 May 2009.
6. ^ "UN must investigate Sri Lanka rights violations". Amnesty International. 17 May 2010.
7. ^ Pioneer, The. "Lankan Civil War and human rights violation". The Pioneer. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
8. ^ Hull, C. Bryson; Sirilal, Ranga (18 May 2009). "Fighting ends, rebel leader Prabhakaran dead". Die Welt.
9. ^ Aneez, Shihar; Sirilal, Ranga (7 April 2014). "Sri Lanka won't cooperate U.N. war crime probe: foreign minister". Reuters.
10. ^ Lynch, Colum (22 April 2011). "U.N.: Sri Lanka's crushing of Tamil Tigers may have killed 40,000 civilians". Washington Post.
11. ^ "UN: Sri Lanka mass deaths may be 'war crimes'". Al Jazeera. 25 April 2011.
12. ^ Davidson, Helen (5 February 2014). "Sri Lankan security forces destroyed evidence of war crimes, report claims". The Guardian.
13. ^ "Q&A: Post-war Sri Lanka". BBC News. 20 September 2013.
14. ^ Welch, Dylan (26 October 2011). "Fraser supports call for Sri Lanka war crimes inquiry". The Age.
15. ^ "United Nations launches Sri Lanka war crimes inquiry; Australia declines to support resolution". ABC News (Australia). Agence France-Presse. 28 March 2014.
16. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (27 March 2014). "UN launches official investigation into Sri Lankan war crimes". The Independent.
17. ^ "War memorial events banned in North". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 11 May 2014.
18. ^ Dias, Supun (12 May 2010). "Week-long programme to mark war heroes' week". The Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka). Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
19. ^ "Report of the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation" (PDF). Government of Sri Lanka. November 2011. pp. 387–388\. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
20. ^ Perera, Jehan (29 October 2013). "The rational quest for mutually beneficial solutions starts now". The Island (Sri Lanka).
21. ^ Report of the Secretary-General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka (PDF). United Nations. 31 March 2011. p. 80.
22. ^ "Victims or active agents of change?". Ceylon Today. 18 October 2013.
23. ^ Perera, Melani Manel (13 May 2014). "Sri Lanka preparing Victory Day but only the south will celebrate". AsiaNews.
24. ^ "SL military wants Jaffna University shut down on Mu'l'livaaykkaal Day". TamilNet. 6 May 2014.
25. ^ "Jaffna University To Close On May 18". The Sunday Leader. 11 May 2014.
26. ^ "No War Commemoration Allowed in Lanka North". The New Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 11 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
27. ^ "Sri Lanka bans commemoration of Tiger rebels". Khaleej Times. Agence France-Presse. 11 May 2014.
28. ^ "Living with insecurity: Marginalization and sexual violence against women in north and east Sri Lanka". Minority Rights Group International. 16 October 2013. p. 13.
29. ^ "May 19 is Remembrance Day: Rajitha - Breaking News | Daily Mirror". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
30. ^ "National War Heroes' Day commemoration event gets underway". www.adaderana.lk. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
31. ^ "Sri Lanka Tamils defy ban on rebel memorial". Arab News. Agence France-Presse. 19 May 2013.
32. ^ Srinivasan, Meera (10 May 2014). "Sri Lanka seizes ammunition". The Hindu.
33. ^ "Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance observed in Vanni". TamilNet. 19 May 2012.
34. ^ "SL police disrupts elected councillors from conducting Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance". TamilNet. 16 May 2014.
35. ^ Mohan, Sulochana Ramiah. "TAK to commemorate war dead". Ceylon Today.
36. ^ "SL Police arrests TNPF politicians on Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance Day in Mannaar". TamilNet. 18 May 2013.
37. ^ "15 arrested for allegedly marking Prabha's death". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). 19 May 2013.
38. ^ "Idea of the Tamil struggle cannot be killed': Kashmiri Leader". TamilNet. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
39. ^ "TN Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance meeting condemns Indian-West complicity in genocide". TamilNet. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
40. ^ "Events across Tamil Nadu mark Mullivaikkal massacre". Tamil Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
41. ^ "British MPs call for war crimes probes at Mu'l'livaaykkaal Remembrance". TamilNet. 20 May 2010.
42. ^ "International probe into Sri Lanka's war crimes urged at British rally". TamilNet. 19 May 2011.
43. ^ "Independent international investigation on Sri Lanka called for at London event". TamilNet. 20 May 2012.
44. ^ "Diaspora Tamils observe Mu'l'li-vaaykkaal Genocide remembrance events". TamilNet. 19 May 2013.
45. ^ "Parliament creates day to remember Tamil genocide in Sri Lanka". National Post. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
46. ^ "Canadian Parliamentarians recognise Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day | Tamil Guardian". www.tamilguardian.com. Retrieved 18 May 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Sri Lankan civil war (1983–2009)

Origins|

* Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism
* Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism
* Sinhala Only Act
* 1956
* 1958
* Vaddukoddai Resolution
* 1977
* 1981
* Burning of Jaffna Library
* Black July

Combatants|

|  Sri Lanka|

* Army (LRRP)
* Navy
* Air Force
* Police
* Special Task Force
* Home Guards
* Attacks on civilians
* Assassinations

|

LTTE|

* Divisions
* Air Tigers
* Sea Tigers
* Black Tigers
* Attacks
* in the 1970s
* 1980s
* 1990s
* 2000s
* Assassinations
* Suicide bombings

Other militants (list)|

* ENDLF
* ENLF
* EPRLF
* EROS
* PLOTE
* TELO

India|

* Indian Peace Keeping Force

Paramilitary groups|

* EPDP
* TMVP

Phases|

* Eelam War I
* Indian intervention
* Eelam War II
* III
* IV
* Eastern / Northern theatres

Major battles|

* Kokkilai
* Vadamarachchi
* Poomalai
* Pawan
* Jaffna University Helidrop
* Balavegaya
* 1st Elephant Pass
* Pooneryn
* Riviresa
* 1st Mullaitivu
* Weli Oya
* Sath Jaya
* Vavunathivu
* Jayasikurui
* Thandikulam–Omanthai
* 1st Kilinochchi
* Oddusuddan
* A-9 highway
* 2nd Elephant Pass
* Bandaranaike Airport attack
* Point Pedro
* Jaffna
* Thoppigala
* Vidattaltivu
* 2nd Kilinochchi
* 2nd Mullaitivu
* Puthukkudiyirippu

Major events|

* Air Lanka Flight 512
* Indo-Sri Lanka Accord
* Expulsions from Northern province
* Assassination of Lalith Athulathmudali
* Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi
* Assassination of Ranasinghe Premadasa
* Temple of the Tooth attack
* Lionair Flight 602
* Bandaranaike Airport attack
* Expulsions from Colombo
* 2009 suicide air raid on Colombo

Leaders|

| Sri Lanka|

| Military|

| Army|

* Tissa Weeratunga
* Nalin Seneviratne
* Hamilton Wanasinghe
* Cecil Waidyaratne
* G. H. De Silva
* Rohan Daluwatte
* Srilal Weerasooriya
* L. P. Balagalle
* Shantha Kottegoda
* Sarath Fonseka

|

Navy|

* Asoka de Silva
* H. A. Silva
* Clancy Fernando
* D. A. M. R. Samarasekara
* H. C. A. C. Thisera
* Daya Sandagiri
* Wasantha Karannagoda

Air Force|

* Dick Perera
* Andibuduge Fernando
* Makalandage Gunawardena
* Oliver Ranasinghe
* Jayalath Weerakkody
* Donald Perera
* Roshan Goonetileke

Civilian|

* J. R. Jayewardene
* Ranasinghe Premadasa
* Dingiri Banda Wijetunga
* Chandrika Kumaratunga
* Mahinda Rajapaksa

LTTE|

| Militant|

* Velupillai Prabhakaran
* Pottu Amman
* Soosai
* Karuna Amman

|

Political|

* Selvarasa Pathmanathan
* Anton Balasingham
* S. P. Thamilselvan

India|

| Military|

* Harkirat Singh
* Ashok K. Mehta
* Kulwant Singh
* Depinder Singh
* Dalvir Singh
* Krishnaswamy Sundarji

|

Civilian|

* R. Venkataraman
* Rajiv Gandhi
* V. P. Singh
* Jyotindra Nath Dixit
* J. Jayalalithaa
* M. Karunanidhi
* Vaiko

Aftermath|

* Genocide
* Films
* NPC resolution
* LLRC
* Reactions (Protests)
* Remembrance Day
* UN Panel on Accountability
* War crimes
* Chemical weapons

Related topics|

* Casualties
* Assassinations
* Massacres
* Child soldiers
* Disappearances
* Office on Missing Persons
* Human rights
* Popular culture
* Terrorism
* Non-state
* State
* PTA
* Sexual violence
* Sixth Amendment
* Thirteenth Amendment
* Women
* 1988 Maldives coup attempt
* 1987–1989 JVP insurrection

* Sri Lankan civil war at Wiktionary
* Source texts at Wikisource
* Textbooks at Wikibooks
* Images and media at the Commons
* Quotations at Wikiquote
* News stories at Wikinews

* v
* t
* e

Sri Lankan Tamil people

List of Sri Lankan Tamils

History|

| Ancient|

* History of Eastern Tamils
* Tissamaharama inscription
* Annaicoddai seal
* Ketheeswaram temple
* Koneswaram temple
* Munneswaram temple
* Tenavaram temple

|

Jaffna kingdom|

* History
* Aryacakravarti
* Jaffna Palace ruins
* Kotagama inscriptions
* Portuguese conquest
* Vannimai
* Vanniar
* Demala Hatpattu

Colonial|

* American Ceylon Mission
* Wesleyan Methodist Mission
* Jaffna Youth Congress

Post-colonial|

* Nationalism
* Colonisation
* Sinhala Only Act
* Riots
* Bandaranaike–Chelvanayakam Pact
* Standardisation
* Militancy
* Vaddukoddai Resolution
* Tamil Eelam
* Burning of Jaffna library
* Black July
* Civil war
* NPC Resolution on Genocide

Politics|

| Government|

* Northern Provincial Council
* Government of the Northern Province
* Governors
* Chief Ministers
* Eastern Provincial Council
* Governors
* Chief Ministers

|

Political parties|

* All Ceylon Tamil Congress
* Federal Party
* Tamil United Liberation Front
* Tamil National Alliance
* Democratic Tamil National Alliance
* Tamil National People's Front
* Tamil People's National Alliance

Militant groups|

* ENDLF
* ENLF
* EPRLF
* EORS
* LTTE
* PLOTE
* TELO

Diaspora|

* British Tamils Forum
* Canadian Tamil Congress
* Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America
* Global Tamil Forum
* Tamils Against Genocide
* Tamil Youth Organisation
* Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam

Society|

* Eelam
* Genetic studies
* Karaiyar
* Koviar
* Mukkuvar
* Nalavar
* Paraiyar
* Thesavalamai
* Vellalar
* Vedar

| Culture|

* Cinema
* Representations in Indian cinema
* Literature
* News
* Saturday Review
* Sudar Oli
* Tamil Guardian
* TamilNet
* Tamil Times
* Thinakaran
* Thinakkural
* Uthayan
* Virakesari

|

Diaspora|

* Australia
* Canada
* France
* Germany
* Italy
* India
* Malaysia
* New Zealand
* Pakistan
* United Kingdom
* United States

Languages and dialects|

* Batticaloa Tamil
* Jaffna Tamil
* Negombo Tamil
* Loanwords

Religion|

* Hinduism
* Naguleswaram temple
* Nallur Kandaswamy temple
* Catholicism
* Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu
* Village deities

Sport|

* Cricket
* Football

Category
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