Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day is observed by Sri Lankan Tamils every May 18 to honor the memory of those who died during the final months of the Sri Lankan Civil War, which lasted from 1983 to 2009. The day commemorates the significant civilian casualties, particularly during the brutal confrontations between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan military from December 2008 to May 2009, where approximately 40,000 civilians were killed. A notable event during this period was the Mullivaikkal massacre in May 2009, where thousands of Tamils were killed despite being in a designated no-fire zone. While the Sri Lankan government has banned public commemorations for the LTTE, Tamils continue to hold private remembrance ceremonies. Additionally, public events are organized in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and among the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora worldwide, including countries such as Canada, the UK, and Germany.