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Sri Lanka’s official National War Heroes’ Day, commemorating the end of the country’s three-decade-long conflict and honouring war heroes, is observed annually on May 19. Meanwhile, May 18 is also marked in the Northern and Eastern regions as a day of remembrance for Tamil civilians who lost their lives during the war.
This year, several false and misleading claims related to these commemorations circulated widely on social media. Below is a fact-check we conducted on some of those misleading posts.
Claim 1
Social Media Posts :
A post circulated on social media claiming that Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala had stated: “Although they are called war heroes, everyone in the army and police fought for a salary, but the loyal Tamil fighters fought and gave their lives not for a salary.”
Fact-Check :
If the Public Security Minister had made such a statement, it would have been reported by mainstream media outlets. Our investigation found that no mainstream media outlet reported any such statement, and no video recording of it exists. The minister’s media department confirmed that the minister did not make such a statement. The minister’s own official Facebook page also published a denial of the post.
Claim 2
Social Media Posts :
Following a heated situation between Wimal Weerawansa and the police on May 18, during an attempt to reach the War Heroes’ Memorial, a video circulated on social media inferring that Wimal Weerawansa was arrested last night.
Another video also circulated on social media claiming that Wimal Weerawansa had been arrested late at night.
Fact Check :
Mainstream media outlets reported that a heated situation arose on May 18, 2026, near the National War Heroes’ Memorial located close to the Parliament Grounds in Battaramulla, involving Wimal Weerawansa, several others, and the police. According to these reports, preparations and official rehearsals for the National War Heroes’ Commemoration ceremony scheduled for May 19. During this period, a group of around 35 individuals, including Wimal Weerawansa, had attempted to enter the premises to pay floral tributes at the memorial. The tense exchange that took place between Wimal Weerawansa and the police during the incident was reported as follows.
As of May 20, 2026, Wimal Weerawansa has not been arrested in connection with the incident that took place on May 18.
If Wimal Weerawansa had been arrested or subjected to any legal action in connection with the incident, it would likely have been reported by mainstream media outlets. During our investigation, we found that no mainstream media outlet or official reliable source had reported any such development.
However, the Sri Lanka Police has officially stated that legal action will be pursued against Wimal Weerawansa and several others over allegations of obstructing National War Heroes’ Day rehearsal activities and interfering with police duties. The Police further stated that facts relating to the incident would be presented before court for future legal proceedings. The notice can be found here.
The Police Media Division
The Police Media Division stated that Wimal Weerawansa has not been arrested in connection with the incident. However, it further confirmed that facts relating to the incident were scheduled to be reported to court on 20 May.
Claim 3
Social Media Posts :
A social media post circulated claiming, “The War Heroes’ commemoration is a fake event; the war was not fought with our consent. Harini goes to London to meet the LTTE diaspora.”
We also carried out a fact-check to verify the accuracy of this claim.
Fact Check :
Mainstream media outlets reported that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya departed for the United Kingdom on May 18, 2026, on an official diplomatic visit. The visit includes participation in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Conference and the 2026 Commonwealth of Learning Governing Board meeting. During the trip, the Prime Minister is also expected to engage in several diplomatic and bilateral meetings, as well as deliver academic lectures and address events at universities including the University of Sussex and the University of Oxford. The reports regarding this can be found here, here and here.
Additionally, on May 19, the Government Information Department reported that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya addressed a conference at the University of Sussex. She had also delivered a special lecture at the University of Oxford in this manner.
The Prime Minister’s Media Secretary
In response to our inquiry, the Prime Minister’s media secretary stated that the above social media post is misleading.
A Statement Made while Addressing a Women’s Gathering Held on April 2, 2026, in Adambal, Mannar, has been Misrepresented in a Misleading Manner.
On April 2, 2026, while addressing a women’s gathering held in Adambal, Mannar, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya stated that women in Sri Lanka have faced hardships due to the impact of the war that divided the country. She noted that many women in the country continue to suffer without their husbands or children and said that similar experiences were also present among women in the local area. She further stated that decisions regarding the war were made without consulting women, but the consequences of the conflict have been borne by women. A review of the full speech indicates that the term “we” was used in a general sense to refer to women in the country as a whole. The full statement is provided below.
Claim 4
Social Media Posts :
A social media post circulated claiming that Minister Wijitha Herath had stated, “We are the ones who made Mahinda to carry out the war activities”
We examined whether Minister Wijitha Herath had actually made such a statement.
Fact Check :
Because the post was presented in the official-style format of the Dinamina media brand, we first verified whether it had been published through the official social media channels of Dinamina. However, no such post was found on its official platforms.
If Minister Wijitha Herath had made such a statement, it would likely have been reported by mainstream media outlets. Accordingly, we also checked whether any mainstream media or reliable official sources had reported it. However, no such reports were found.
The image used in the post was actually taken on March 18, 2026, during the launch of LilyLanka, a platform aimed at strengthening the digital promotion of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
Minister Wijitha Herath
The media secretary of Minister Wijitha Herath, in response to our inquiry, stated that the Minister has not made such a statement and confirmed that the post in question is fabricated and false.
Claim 5
Social Media Posts :
A social media post circulated claiming that a video allegedly showing Velupillai Prabhakaran committing sexual violence against Tamil women had been released after 17 years, along with a link inviting users to watch the video.
Fact Check :
Upon checking the link included in the social media post, it was found that it does not lead to any actual video and is instead a fake link. Accordingly, the link has been identified as a phishing scam rather than a genuine video source.
What Is a Phishing Attack?
Phishing attacks are fraudulent activities carried out online to steal users’ personal information such as passwords, credit card details, and bank account numbers. In such cases, attackers attempt to deceive users through emails, text messages, or fake websites in order to obtain sensitive information.
Furthermore, there are no reports from any official or reliable sources confirming any such incident involving Velupillai Prabhakaran.
An Image Generated Using Artificial Intelligence
The social media post in question also included an image showing Velupillai Prabhakaran standing in a place described as where women were sleeping. Due to the clearly unnatural appearance of the image, we analysed it using AI detection tools. The analysis confirmed that the image was generated using artificial intelligence.
Claim 6
Social Media Posts :
A social media post circulated claiming that Minister Lal Kantha had stated, “We have a bitter past with the army, so some of our comrades are reluctant to commemorate them.”
Fact Check :
If the Minister had made such a statement, it would likely have been reported by mainstream media outlets. Accordingly, we checked whether any mainstream media had reported such a claim, but no such reports were found. We also reviewed the Minister’s recent public statements and found no instance in which he made any such remark.
The image used in the social media post was taken on May 12, 2026, during the launch of the CROPIX seed production, certification and identification system, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation and the Department of Agriculture, with technical support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The Minister did not make any such statement during that event.
A Fake Post Created in the Style of the “Top News” Facebook Page
The post in question was designed using the format of a fake Facebook page styled to mimic the “Top News” page. However, the original “Top News” Facebook page clarified in a statement that this post was not published by them and confirmed that it is a fabricated post created in their page’s style.
Media Secretary of Minister Lal Kantha
Media Secretary of Minister Lal Kantha stated, in response to our inquiry, that the social media post is false and confirmed that the Minister has not made such a statement.
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Title: Misleading Social Media Posts Circulate Alongside May 19th , Memorial Day Events!
Fact Check By: B.P Hansani
Result: Misleading
