Canadian delegation visits Trincomalee, sees WUSC activities

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 19:16 GMT]
A Canadian parliamentarian delegation led by Ms Maria Minna arrived in Trincomalee Thursday around noon on a fact-finding mission accompanied by Mr.Jean-Philippe Linteau, Political Officer of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo. Other members of the Canadian delegation were Mr.Derek Lee, Mr.Joe Comartin, both parliamentarians and a Senator Mr.Jospeh Day.
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Red Cross signs MoU to reconstruct tsunami hit medical institutions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) have undertaken to reconstruct, renovate, repair and equip General Hospitals, Base Hospitals, District Hospitals, Rural Hospitals, Peripheral Units and Central Dispensaries in the tsunami affected areas throughout the island.
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Switzerland to reconstruct schools in Matara

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 March 2005, 15:27 GMT]
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has decided to reconstruct seven schools in the Southern Matara district as a part of its effort to help tsunami victims in the worst-hit Sri Lanka. Swiss Ambassador, Bernardino Regazzoni signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mr. P.B. Jayasundera in this regard on Thursday.
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LTTE, Sri Lanka joint mechanism urgent need - EU

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 15:20 GMT]
The European Union's Commissioner for External Relations, Ms.Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Tuesday called for the speedy establishment of a joint mechanism between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to distribute Tsunami aid. Addressing a news conference in Colombo Tuesday she emphasized that the joint mechanism was an ‘urgent need’.
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ER can arbitrarily deny Personal Liberty, Rights- NESOHR

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 12:42 GMT]
The Northeast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) in a media release issued Monday said that it "views with serious concern recently declared Emergency Regulations (ER) under the Public Security Ordinance," and pointed out that "people of Northeast of the island [Sri Lanka] have valid fear that these regulations may be applied against them arbitrarily to deny their personal liberties and property rights."
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Clinton expresses hope on joint mechanism for Tsunami reconstruction

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 February 2005, 10:37 GMT]
Expressing hope on a joint mechanism for reconstruction of Sri Lanka's tsunami-shattered coastal areas, US ex-president Bill Clinton Monday said that he was informed Sunday night that the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Government were working together to create such a mechanism for tsunami relief. "My experience is, whether it is Middle East or Northern Ireland, whenever people work together on specific issues, it helps to resolve the differences," media sources said Clinton as saying. The ex-US presidents met with Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga Sunday night.
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Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W.Bush arrive in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 20 February 2005, 10:35 GMT]
Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W.Bush arrived in Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, Sunday evening at 4.12 PM as part of their tour of tsunami-hit countries in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, Media Minister Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Vishva Warnapala and Interior Ministry Secretary Mr.Tilak Ranaviraja were present at the Airport to receive the two former US presidents. US President George W Bush appointed the ex-presidents to lead private fundraising efforts in the wake of the tsunami.
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US Ex-Presidents Clinton, Bush to visit Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 February 2005, 18:14 GMT]
Former Presidents of the United States, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and George H.W.Bush(1989-1993) are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka during the weekend as part of their tour of South Asian nations hit by Tsunami, diplomatic sources in Colombo said.
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Japan to provide tsunami early-warning system to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 February 2005, 10:58 GMT]
The government of Japan, the largest donor country to Sri Lanka, has agreed to a request made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga to provide with the technical assistance to set up a tsunami early-warning system here as soon as possible. Visiting Senior Vice-Minister Foreign Minister for Japan, Shuzen Tanigawa, reveled this at a press conference held at the Hilton Hotel on Tuesday at the end of his fact finding mission in Sri Lanka. "President Chandrika Kumaratunga has asked for Japanese assistance to set up a tsunami early-warning system. But it depends on the government of Sri Lanka's ability to absorb it," Minister Tanigawa said.
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"Colombo will mislead the world on aid distribution"- Kilinochchi paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2005, 15:11 GMT]
The Tamil daily Eelanatham, published in Killinochchi, warned in its Sunday editorial that Chandrika Kumaratunge's government will again mislead the world on distribution of the aid received for tsunami relief. The paper called on the donors to also set up mechanisms and procedures to ensure an equitable distribution of aid to all those affected, among them two thirds are from the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
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Government submits estimates to donor countries

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2005, 14:46 GMT]
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has submitted a special report to donor countries outlining plans and estimates for tsunami relief work. The report's estimated total for tsunami relief work is Rs. 1.5 billion. Report was prepared by the Department of National Planning within the ministry of Finance and Planning.
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UN provides relief worth millions to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 January 2005, 16:40 GMT]
United Nations Country Team in Sri Lanka has provided relief assistance worth several millions of rupees including direct cash grants, materials such as food and non-food items, medicine and technical support since last Sunday when the devastating tsunami struck the island, United Nations Information Centre in a press release issued Saturday said.
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Teams of expatriate Tamil doctors to arrive in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 January 2005, 16:29 GMT]
Fifteen doctors, including reputed practising surgeons, arrived from London tonight to serve in the tsunami hit Mullaitivu, the worst affected district in the Sunday disaster, said a Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) spokesperson in Colombo. "More doctors are coming. Medical professionals from U.S, Canada, and Europe are also due to arrive to work in the NorthEast areas at planned intervals," the spokesperson added.
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Galle, Matara, Hambantota: 4000 dead, 8000 missing

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 December 2004, 20:41 GMT]
Tsunami death toll in Galle now stands at 2600 with 3000 still missing, in Matara the death toll is 850 and 4000 are listed missing, and in Hambantota 1100 bodies have been recovered and about 1000 are still missing, official sources in Colombo said.
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More than 10000 killed in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 December 2004, 08:24 GMT]
Government sources said more than 10000 people are killed in Sri Lanka. Rescue workers believe that the death toll in the Northeast region alone could be more than 6000. The number of people swept away would be much higher than earlier anticipated in the region, rescue workers say. Massive relief efforts have been launched. Infrastructure constraints and damaged highways make the rescue work difficult.
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Tsunami death toll expected to increase

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 17:10 GMT]
Around 3100 persons in Northeast and 1400 in South have died due to tsunami waves that hit NorthEast coast Sunday, according to government sources in Colombo. In the Northeast alone, nearly 12000 people have suffered injuries and around 200,000 people have been affected, administrative sources in Colombo said. Government sources added that death toll is expected to rise significantly. In the meantime, Tamil National Alliance (TNA)parliamentarian Mr. Joseph Pararajasingam has urged the Prime Minister Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksha, to attend to immediate needs of the affected public in the east.
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At least 500 feared killed by Tsunami waves in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 04:12 GMT]
At least five hundred people are feared killed as fierce waves from the sea hit Sri Lanka' eastern and southern coasts Sunday morning. Initial reports from the east said that many coastal villages of the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai districts were hit by powerful tidal waves causing extensive destruction as thousands of homes were covered by rising sea waters. Around 25 villages are reported to have been swept off by the tidal waves of the Tsunami.
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Attack on Bollywood show creates political storm in south

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 December 2004, 20:23 GMT]
The grenade attack on Bollywood concert held Saturday in Colombo killing two and injuring several has created a political storm in the south of the country following a speech by President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge at Matara Sunday accusing a parliamentarian of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) and some monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) for causing the crime.
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UNP activists demonstrate in Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 October 2004, 09:21 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians including hundreds of party cadres and activists joined in what is dubbed as “Kitchen Revolution," Tuesday in Kollupitiya junction, Slave Island junction, Hyde Park Corner, Maradana overhead bridge junction, Technical College junction and Kochchikade St Anthony’s Church junction, sources in Colombo said.
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Norwegian Ambassador to visit Southern Province

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 October 2004, 11:32 GMT]
The Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Hans Brattskar, will this week pay a three days visit to Matara and Galle districts in the Southern Province, the Royal Norwegian Embassy said in a Press Release issued in Colombo Tuesday. The Norwegian Government has contributed 160 million rupees to new information technology for the Sri Lanka higher education sector, including the Ruhuna University, and 115 million rupees to the development of rural roads in the Southern Province.
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