It was May 18, 2009, a day etched in the soul of a nation. The guns fell silent. The leader of the world’s most ruthless terror outfit, Velupillai Prabhakaran, was confirmed dead on the muddy banks of the Nandikadal lagoon. And just like that, after more than 30 years of carnage, bombings, abductions, and fear, Sri Lanka’s civil war was over.
Today, exactly 16 years later, the island pauses to remember that moment when the impossible became history.
For decades, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) waged a relentless war for a separate state. Entire generations grew up under the shadow of checkpoints, claymore mines, and suicide bombings. But on that day, Sri Lanka reclaimed its unity in a thunderous crescendo of sacrifice and strategy ending what was considered one of the longest-running insurgencies in Asia.
The real heroes? Thousands of brave soldiers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Special Forces many of whom paid the ultimate price. In what has been hailed as the world’s largest humanitarian rescue operation, they liberated over 300,000 civilians used as human shields by the LTTE in its final days. It wasn’t just a military victory it was a moral reckoning.
To honor this colossal moment in history, the National Victory Celebration will take place tomorrow (May 19), between 4 and 6 p.m. at the War Heroes Memorial in Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte. Among those attending will be battle-scarred veterans and iconic figures of the war: Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, who orchestrated the final campaign; Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda; and Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Gunathilaka. The event will be held under the patronage of Deputy Defense Minister, Retired Major General Aruna Jayasekara.
Meanwhile, patriotic groups are calling on citizens to mark the day in their own way. The Patriotic National Front has urged all Sri Lankans to raise the national flag outside their homes as a sign of remembrance and gratitude.
But 16 years on, the war’s legacy still stirs controversy. How we remember, who we honor, and what lessons we carry into the future remain points of heated debate. Still, one thing is undeniable: May 18, 2009, marked the end of an era one soaked in blood, sacrifice, and ultimately, victory.
Today, Sri Lanka remembers. Tomorrow, it salutes.
