Trinco monk protests govt inaction in providing tsunami relief

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 March 2005, 11:35 GMT]
The sit-in-protest campaign began by Venerable Hamulugamuwa Nandaretna, Viharathipathi of Mahadiulwewa Sri Pabatharama Raja Maha Vihare with his five disciples in the heart of Trincomalee town, in front of Clock Tower junction Saturday morning condemning the Sri Lanka government's inaction in providing relief and reconstruction assistance to tsunami victims in the Trincomalee district entered second day Sunday, sources said.




Venerable Nandaretna said his campaign will continue until the government authorities in the east port town accelerate their tsunami relief and reconstruction activities. "Foreign aid and assistance are flowing into thecountry since tsunami hit our coastal areas. Trincomalee district also received such aid and assistance but are not properly distributed to thevictims. Relief supplies received are kept in stores and victims suffer without food and other assistance," he said.

He wanted each victim who lost his or her house should be given five hundred thousand rupees and land to construct new house. But in Trincomalee district government authorities are not showing keen interest in disbursing the funds and supplying the relief stored in warehouses, he alleged.

"People are for peace and not for war. Some politicians are for war. We cannot support personalities who are for war. We must not think on racial and religious lines. We should all think that we are Sri Lankans irrespective of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim. The country could prosper if permanent peace is restored," Venerable Nandaretna told journalists.

Mr.Gamini Rodrigo, Trincomalee Government Agent, Mr.Kapila Jayasekara, Superintendent of Police, Trincomalee and several other leading personalities in the port city visited the Buddhist priest who is seated on a specially constructed dais in front of Clock Tower.