TNPF Mullivaikkal remembrance event

19 May 2013

Photographs TCCMediaFr The Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) marked the 4th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal massacre in Mannar on Saturday. Plans to hold it by the remembrance memorial in Samanakulam, Vavuniya were ended when the memorial monument was destroyed the night before. Following the event, S. Kajendran and V. Manivannan of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF), were arrested along with other party members. According to party president, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, the TNPF members were questioned by the Terrorism Investigation Department (TID) for many hours, before eventually being released on personal bail.  Destroyed remembrance monument, Samanakulam See also: TNPF members arrested for Mullivaikkal remembrance (18 May 2013) Melbourne Tamils mark 4th anniversary of Mullivaikkal  19 May 2013 Over 500 Australian Tamils gathered in Melbourne on Saturday to remember the victims of the Mullivaikkal massacre, 4 years on. Despite the poor weather, hundreds of Tamils gathered outside the historic State Library of Victoria to mark the occasion. The event saw dance Bharatanatyam dance performances depicting the suffering of civilians and included a wide range of speakers. Amongst them was Trevor Grant from the Tamil Refugee Council, who paid tribute to the history of the Tamil struggle and called for the Tamil Eelam flag and nation to attain international recognition. Also addressing the event was Senator John Madigan from the Democratic Labour Party, who called for Australia to boycott the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and moreland City Councillor Sue Bolton who stated that the absence of war on the island did not mean that there was peace. She went on to state that whilst the Sri Lankan government claims tourists are visiting the island and all was well, the ethnic conflict and suffering remains.