Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day 2026

The Tamil Bar Association (TBA) stands in solidarity with Tamil communities across the world in commemoration of the 17th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide, the mass killing of 70,000 to 140,000 Tamil civilians by the Sri Lankan state in May 2009.

In the final months of the armed conflict, the Sri Lankan state committed grave atrocities against the Tamil population, including the indiscriminate shelling of designated no-fire zones, hospitals, and civilian shelters; the obstruction of humanitarian aid such as food, water, and medical assistance; arbitrary detention; enforced disappearances; torture; and sexual violence. These acts constitute credible allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

Seventeen years later, the Tamil people continue to endure the lasting consequences of these atrocities and the ongoing injustice of impunity. Successive Sri Lankan governments have failed to hold perpetrators accountable while continuing policies and practices that marginalize and oppress the Tamil population, including militarization of the North-East, land seizures, surveillance, suppression of memorialization efforts, and other forms of systemic discrimination and intimidation. The trauma and impact of Mullivaikkal continues to shape the lives of survivors, families of the disappeared, and future generations across the Tamil homeland and diaspora.

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Vaddukoddai Resolution, which affirmed the Tamil people’s right to self-determination, including the call for an independent state. Fifty years later, the fundamental questions it raised regarding political autonomy, equality, and the protection of Tamil collective rights remain unresolved, reflecting the structural political conditions that gave rise to and persisted beyond the final phase of the armed conflict in 2009.

In Canada, important progress has been made toward recognizing the Tamil genocide and advancing a global call for truth, justice, and accountability. This includes official recognition of May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, the enactment of Ontario’s Tamil Genocide Education Week Act, and the establishment of the Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton. Canada has also taken principled action internationally by imposing sanctions on former Sri Lankan officials implicated in gross human rights violations, including Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. These measures affirm the importance of acknowledgment and accountability in confronting mass atrocities.

At the same time, efforts to deny and erase Tamil memory continue. In the years following the Mullivaikkal genocide, Sri Lanka has engaged in the destruction of cemeteries, memorials, and commemorative spaces, while continuing to resist credible international scrutiny and accountability mechanisms. Attempts to challenge or suppress acts of remembrance underscore the ongoing need to preserve historical truth and protect the rights of affected communities to mourn, remember, and seek justice.

The pursuit of justice requires more than remembrance alone. It demands continued advocacy, legal accountability, education, and independent international investigations into the atrocities committed against the Tamil people. Resolutions adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council, together with ongoing documentation by international human rights organizations and civil society groups, continue to highlight the urgent need for credible accountability processes and meaningful redress.

As we honour the lives lost during and leading up to the Mullivaikkal genocide, we reaffirm our collective responsibility to seek truth, pursue justice, protect the integrity of international legal principles, and uphold the right to self-determination. The TBA remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting survivors and families seeking answers, and to advancing accountability through advocacy, legal action, and support for international efforts aimed at securing lasting justice and reconciliation for Tamil people.