Remembrance Day (Sri Lanka)

Remembrance Day (Sinhala: ජාතික රණවිරු සැමරුම් උළෙල Jāthika Raṇaviru Sæmarum Uḷela), also known as National War Heroes Commemoration Day, is a memorial day observed in Sri Lanka since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, which is observed to commemorate the war heroes which fought in the war and the civilians who were killed in the war from both sides. Remembrance Day is observed on 19 May, which marks the decisive victory of the Sri Lankan Army against the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, on 18 May 2009.

Celebrations are marked by speeches and a moment of silence. Initially, under President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the day was known as Victory Day and included a military parade, but in 2015 was renamed Remembrance Day by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The memorial day occurs on the day after Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day, a similar memorial day celebrated by Sri Lankan Tamils to commemorate the Tamils who were killed during the final stages of the war.

History
The Sri Lankan Civil War was an armed conflict fought between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, aka Tamil Tigers) and the Government of Sri Lanka. The 26-year conflict came to an end on 18 May 2009, with the total military defeat of the LTTE, and thus the day was marked as a day of celebration across the island.

Celebrations of the first anniversary were presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose government was in power when the war ended. The celebrations were commemorated as Victory Day, a celebration of the triumph of the Armed Forces against terrorism in the country, and continued under the same name until 2015. Rajapaksa's successor, President Maithripala Sirisena renamed the day to Remembrance Day and moved the date to 19 May to "mark the sacrifices made by all those, who irrespective of their ethnicity, safeguarded the unity and territorial integrity of the country". The day also recognises all civilians who died in the war. The day is a step towards reconciliation between all ethnic communities of the country.

Commemorations for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are not permitted.