President Mahinda Rajapaksa proclaims Sri Lanka’s victory in the 25-year civil war
The Sri Lankan army proclaimed an end to the 25 years of civil war after defeating the remaining Tamil Tiger rebels and killing their leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. It remains unclear whether there are any civilians remaining in the war zone. This brings to a close the Tigers fight for a separate state, in a war which saw 70,000 lives lost. Around the world, including Toronto, Tamil communities are protesting and holding vigils, asking for international attention and humanitarian aid to the area.