Mothers of Missing Tamil Children Thank President Trump as US Aircraft Lands in Jaffna, Marking Day 3,217 of Their Protest
VAVUNIYA, SRI LANKA — On the 3,217th consecutive day of their roadside protest on the A9 Highway in front of the Vavuniya Court Complex, the Mothers of the Missing Tamil Children issued a public statement expressing profound gratitude to the United States and President Donald Trump. The recent landing of a US Air Force C-130 aircraft at Jaffna International Airport during the cyclone emergency has given these mothers renewed hope in their long and painful struggle for truth and justice.
For nearly nine years, Tamil mothers have stood under scorching sun and heavy monsoon rain, demanding answers about the thousands of Tamil children, youth, and civilians who disappeared during and after the final phase of the war. Successive Sri Lankan governments have ignored their pleas, but the mothers say the United States has shown that meaningful action is possible.
The arrival of the US aircraft — an operation that would not be permitted under Sri Lanka’s restrictive military and aviation controls — sent a powerful message to the Tamil people. According to the mothers, the landing demonstrated that “the United States can act at any time, in any place, when it chooses to do so,” and that the Tamil community is not alone.
The mothers stated:
“Our call to the United States is being heard. Even when Sri Lankan authorities block and threaten us, the US showed that no force can stop justice. The plane that landed in Jaffna tells the world that Tamils cannot be intimidated by anyone. In our faith and in our culture, we say: ‘Avan inri ethuvum aasaiyaadhu’ — nothing moves without the will of the Almighty. Today, something has finally moved.”
They further emphasized that the US humanitarian presence in Jaffna provides moral strength to families who have suffered for decades without answers. They continue to request international involvement, including forensic investigations and accountability mechanisms, to uncover what happened to their children.
The Mothers of the Missing call on President Trump and the United States to remain engaged in the North–East until a just political settlement is achieved and until the fate of all missing Tamil children and youth is revealed.
Their struggle continues — but with new hope.
Tamil Diaspora News
Thank you,
December 12, 2025