Organized self-help lifts Vanni villages

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 December 2003, 00:11 GMT]
"Under 'Village Upliftment Project' economically worst hit villages in Vanni are identified and efforts are channelled to improve social and economic well-being of the residents through self-help. Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), local NGOs and Tamil expatriates are also financially helping us to carryout this project," Administrative Head, Anbarasan, told TamilNet during a recent visit to the interior villages of the Vanni.
Full story >>

Most landmine accidents in Jaffna – UN group

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 06:49 GMT]
The United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in Colombo said Tuesday that most of the accidents caused by mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) occurred in Jaffna this year. UNDP supported de-mining began in Jaffna seven years ago. Today there are three international de-mining groups active in the peninsula, including one from the US army. The UNDP continues support. A year ago, the region controlled by the Liberation Tigers in the north had much larger and extensive concentrations of mines, minefields and UXOs than Jaffna.
Full story >>

Solar power brightens Vanni villages

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 November 2003, 01:24 GMT]
Privately owned small scale diesel generators produce the only electric power available in key towns in the Vanni region. While a new 20MW thermal power plant in Jaffna was recently reactivated by the Sri Lanka Government officials, it is doubtful that Vanni towns and villages will enjoy grid supplied electric power for many years to come. With the region enjoying copious supply of solar energy and buoyed by success of early experiments, planners in Kilinochchi are exploring the use of photo-voltaic systems for domestic applications.
Full story >>

Veteran Tamil scholars honored

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 October 2003, 19:10 GMT]
Eight veteran Tamil scholars were honored at the final day celebrations of the North East Provincial Tamil Literary Festival held Sunday at Vavuniya Irambaikulam Girls Maha Vidiyalayam with the presentation of Governor's Award-2003, sources said.
Full story >>

SED bank branch opened in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 October 2003, 17:53 GMT]
Socio Economic Development (SED) Bank, which has its headquarters in Killinochchi, opened its first branch in the east of the island, Sunday. The General Manager of the SED Bank Mr.S.Sriskandarajah, declared opened the branch in Kadatkaraichcenai village in Muttur east in Trincomalee district.
Full story >>

Women associations' gathering held in Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 October 2003, 05:17 GMT]
An event to bring together several women’s development organizations in Mullaitivu was held on Saturday at the auditorium of Vithiyananda college, and more than 500 women from the district participated, sources said.
Full story >>

NE observes death anniversary of LTTE leaders

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 October 2003, 18:55 GMT]
The sixteenth death anniversary of twelve LTTE cadres, including senior commanders Lt. Col. Pulendran and Lt. Col. Kumarappa, was held at Theeruvil in Valvettithurai in Jaffna district Sunday with the opening of the renovated memorial tomb, which was destroyed by the Sri Lanka Army when it captured the peninsula in 1996, sources said.
Full story >>

Spanish Red Cross assists Trinco returnees

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 October 2003, 18:48 GMT]
The Spanish Red Cross (SRC), with the assistance of Sri Lanka Red Cross (SLRC) and funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), Wednesday began distributing agricultural inputs and implements to the returnees and war affected communities in the Trincomalee district, sources said.
Full story >>

Chandrika cancels meeting with Wickremesinghe, Helgesen

[TamilNet, Thursday, 18 September 2003, 21:21 GMT]
Meeting between President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge and Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe did not take place Thursday as scheduled and Ms. Kumaratunge cancelled her meeting with the Norwegian deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen and special envoy Mr. Erik Solheim which also scheduled for Thursday, Presidential Secretariat said in a press release said. .


Full story >>

Buried mines prevent rehabilitation of Mulliaitivu hospital

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 September 2003, 11:50 GMT]
Uncleared landmines surrounding the Mullaitivu district hospital are preventing rehabilitation work on the destroyed buildings from proceeding, said health officials in Mullaitivu.
Full story >>

'HSZ prevents resettlement of 80,408 Jaffna families'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 September 2003, 03:33 GMT]
In the Jaffna district, 80,408 families have been unable to resettle in their own lands for the last 13 years as the Sri Lanka Army has been occupying their lands in areas it has declared as High Security Zones, said the Consortium of Non-Governmental Organizations in Jaffna in a statement Saturday.
Full story >>

Danish Ambassador concludes tour of Vanni

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 September 2003, 17:15 GMT]
The Danish Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Michael Sternberg, met with officials of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Kilinochchi Wednesday and the commander of the Naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Col. Soosai, in Mullaitivu, Thursday, and concluded his tour of the Vanni, sources in the Vanni said.
Full story >>

Danish Ambassador meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 10:45 GMT]
Ambassador for Denmark in Colombo, Mr. Michael Sternberg, met with the Political Wing Leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mr. S.P. Tamilchelvan, at the Peace Secretariat Building of the LTTE in Kilinochchi Wednesday, sources in the Vanni said.
Full story >>

Shortage of English language teachers in NE

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 September 2003, 19:52 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has requested Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, to take steps to fill the vacancies that exist for English language teachers in Northeast schools by granting permanent appointments to part time English teachers who have been working in the region for several years, sources said.
Full story >>

WFP conference explores protracted relief program

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2003, 04:17 GMT]
At a conference held recently in Vavuniya at the Suvarka hotel by the United Nations' World Food Program, participants discussed the problems and barriers faced at the field level in implementing the WFP’s Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) for the Mother and Child Nutrition program, and possible solutions and alternatives, WFP sources said.
Full story >>

New Sinhala families settled in Nelukkulam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 August 2003, 10:46 GMT]
Even as thousands of internally displaced Tamil people are languishing in refugee camps, prevented by the Sri Lanka Army from resettling in their own homes, Sri Lankan government officials with the support of the SLA are actively engaged in recruiting new Sinhala families from the South to settle in lands abandoned by earlier Sinhala occupants in the traditional Tamil village of Nelukkulam in the Manalaru region in the Mullaitivu district, sources said.
Full story >>

De-miner injured in car accident

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 August 2003, 21:12 GMT]
A member of the International Mine Action group involved in de-mining in the LTTE-controlled Vanni region was injured when his car met with an accident on the Paranthan-Mullaitivu road Thursday morning and admitted to the Vavuniya hospital, from where he was airlifted to Colombo, sources in Vavuniya said.
Full story >>

Skill development programme in Vanni

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 21:57 GMT]
The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) in Sri Lanka and the North East Provincial Council, on behalf of the North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD), last week signed an agreement to implement a Skill Development Programme in the districts of Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya in the LTTE-held Vanni region, sources said.
Full story >>

‘Tamils should create their own musical tradition’

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 August 2003, 04:38 GMT]
“As a people with a history of having refined folk arts and literature, the Tamils should create a musical tradition uniquely theirs, and great musicians and intellectuals should help to create such a tradition," said “Thamilmani Mullaimani” Mr. V. Subramaniam, speaking at a two-day regional literary festival organized by the Vavuniya Cultural Federation Saturday.
Full story >>

Vavuniya Judge gets jurisdiction over Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 July 2003, 03:47 GMT]
The Judicial Services Commission of Sri Lanka has appointed the Vavuniya District judge, Mr. M. Ilanceliyan, to function as the District judge and Magistrate for the Mullaitivu district since June 1, sources said.
Full story >>