LTTE Cemeteries

The most important LTTE memorials were the cemeteries which were known as Marveerar Thuyilam Illam, lit., Sleeping Houses for Heroes/Martyrs. By 2001, there were “21 immaculately maintained” thuyilam illam which became crucial sites for LTTE propagandizing on Maveerar Nal (Great Heroes’ Day) (Roberts 2008: 22).

They were all demolished at the end of the war. A couple of them were built on by the Army such as the Kopay Thuyilam Illam while a few others that were left as bare lands, with broken tombstones scattered about, were revived as places of memory on November 27th 2017.

The latter are listed below:

Jaffna District

  • Uduththurai Thuyilum Illam, Vadamarachchi

  • Chatty Thuyilum Illam, Punguduteevu

Kilinochchi District

  • Kanagapuram Thuyilam Illam

  • Mulankavil Thuyilum Illam

Mullaitivu District

  • Mallaavi-Vannivilankulam Thuyilum Illam

Mannar District

  • Aatkaaddiveli Thuyilum Illam

  • Pandivirichchaan Thuyilum Illam