JVP sets up illegal Sinhala settlements, Trincomalee tense

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 11:48 GMT]
Tension is mounting in the eastern port city of Trincomalee Thursday as members of radical Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major constituent of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, attempt to construct small houses to settle Sinhalese people in State land in a portion of the esplanade of the urban council in the heart of Trincomalee town, civil sources said. Tension escalated Thursday afternoon as groups of Tamil youth blocked traffic by placing blockades on roads protesting the encroachment.
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Tamil MPs protest march in Sri Lanka Parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 February 2005, 08:26 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance MP marched on the driveway to the Sri Lankan Parliament carrying placards condemning Colombo for failing to avail itself of the cease fire with the Liberation Tigers signed three years ago. “Do not buy weapons with Tsunami aid”, “Disarm the paramilitaries”, “Don’t divide the Muslims and Tamils”, read some of the placards. The march and demo were led by senior Tamil Parliamentarians Mr. R. Sampanthan, Mr. Joseph Pararajasingham, Mr. Mavai Senathirajah and Mr. Selvam Adaikalanathan.


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Violence endangering CFA stability, TNA tells Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 February 2005, 15:10 GMT]
"The violence unleashed against senior LTTE cadres and others on Monday the 7th in government controlled territory situated between two Army Camps, and in an area which has a strong armed forces presence, has raised grave questions in regard to the continued stability of the ceasefire," the Tamil National Alliance delegation led by its parliamentary group leader Mr Sampanthan told Mr Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy of the Japanese Government, when they met him Friday, a press release issued by the TNA in Colombo said.
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Colombo cannot disclaim responsibility for Kausalyan killing- TNA

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 11:41 GMT]
The killings of LTTE Political Head for Batticaloa and Amparai districts Mr.E.Koushalyan, TNA former parliamentarian Mr.A. Chandra Nehru and four others on February 7 raise question as to "how such an attack was carried in an area, which has a strong Armed Forces presence. The question also arises as to who could have carried out such an attack without being deterred by the strong presence of Armed Forces," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, TNA parliamentary group leader in a statement made in parliament Wednesday morning, parliamentary sources said.


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Radical decentralization of relief work needed, TNA tells Dutch FM

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 February 2005, 12:49 GMT]
A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) told the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Bernard Bot, when they met him Thursday that Colombo's attempt to centralize the rehabilitation work has not worked as experience from the last six six weeks clearly show that hardly any progress has been made in the restoration of the lives of the affected people. "The continuance of the present method of functioning could only result in further deterioration, and that it was imperative that the government urgently set up the required mechanism in the Northeast." the TNA delegation further told the visiting Netherland FM.


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Rebuilding Trinco fishing industry discussed

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 January 2005, 03:09 GMT]
"International community has understood the need for an administrative authority to channel foreign aid to the Tsunami devastated northeast province. Foreign funds are likely to be available for the reconstruction of northeast through an authority or for the implementation of identified specific projects. Hence we can expect an equitable proportion of foreign aid to Tsunami destroyed northeast province," said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Trincomalee district parliamentarian and the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) addressing a conference on rebuilding Tsunami destroyed fishing industry in Trincomalee district, sources said.
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Kuchchaveli welfare centers short of relief supplies

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 01:21 GMT]
Several hundreds of Tamil and Muslim families from coastal villages of Vellore, Veerancholai, Irrakakandy, Iranaikerni, Kumburupiddy, Salli Munai, Kuchchaveli along the north of Trincomalee district, displaced by the tsunami disaster and now sheltered in welfare centres complain of inadequate relief supplies reaching them. These villages are administered as part of the Kuchchaveli divisional secretariat division in Trincomalee district.


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TNA MPs pay homage to Eelathunathan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 16:22 GMT]
Mr.R.Sampanthan, Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Mr.Mavai Senathirajah and Mr N. N.Raviraj, Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) paid homage to the departed veteran Tamil activist late Mr.S.Pathmanathan, also known as Eelathunathan, who died last Wednesday in Colombo after a brief illness and funeral was held Sunday evening amid large crowd at the Trincomalee Hindu Cemetery, family sources said.
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Canadian PM meets with TNA, TRO delegations

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 January 2005, 14:30 GMT]
Mr. Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, met with delegations of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) Monday at Colombo Hilton Hotel at 2.30 PM. The TNA delegation urged that all international aid, including Canadian aid, to be channeled through International Non-Governmental Organizations till a proper mechanism is set up to deal with the post Tsunami situation in the Northeast. The TNA told the Canadian Prime Minister that there was total centralization of all rehabilitation, resettlement, reconstruction and development activities in Colombo, and that this was totally inconsistent with the wishes expressed by the people of Northeast.
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Centralization, control by armed forces, and equitable aid are incompatible, TNA tells ADB president

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 January 2005, 06:58 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation met the president of Asia Development Bank (ADB), Mr. Tadao Chino, on Sunday and highlighted the context and the developments in the country that are detrimental to the equitable distribution of tsunami relief. The TNA, which has 22 of the 31 parliamentary seats from the northeast, told the president of ADB that the present activities of the government did not represent the democratic will of the people of the northeast and urged the ADB president to ensure that international aid was equitably distributed.
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Eelathunathan demise irreparable loss to Tamil nation- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 January 2005, 16:45 GMT]
The sudden death of Mr.S.Pathmanathan also known as Eelathunathan, President of the Trincomalee district branch of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) and a member of the central working committee of the TULF has come as a great shock to Tamils of the country, said Mr.R.Sampanthan, Secretary General of the TULF and parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a condolence message issued Saturday.
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ADB President to visit Trinco Saturday

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 January 2005, 16:21 GMT]
Mr. Tado Chino, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to pay a one day visit to Trincomalee Saturday to witness the destruction caused to coastal areas hit by Tsunami and visit welfare centres sheltering victims of the natural disaster, sources said.
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Kumaratunga appoints EPDP to tsunami Task Force

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2005, 02:23 GMT]
Representatives of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) have been appointed to the District Task Force (DTF) established in Jaffna, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Amparai districts to coordinate relief and rehabilitation of tsunami victims who are sheltered in welfare centers, on a directive from Sri Lanka’s President, Ms.Chandrika Kumaratunga, civil sources said.
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Dismal state response reveals need for ISGA - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 January 2005, 11:36 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government’s insensitive and ineffectual relief efforts in the Northeast in the wake of the Asian tsunami disaster has reinforced the need for an interim administration for the region as demanded by its residents, Tamil parliamentarians argued Sunday.
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Annan hails LTTE-led relief efforts

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 January 2005, 05:41 GMT]
UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, hailed the relief efforts led by the Liberation Tigers in the wake of the Asian tsunami of December 26th and expressed his disappointment over the Sri Lankan governments veto of his plans to visit LTTE held areas devastated by the waves, when he met Tamil parliamentarians Sunday.
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TNA decries SLA's taking over of NorthEast Welfare camps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 January 2005, 16:09 GMT]
"The Armed Forces taking over the management of the Welfare Camps in the Northeast would be counterproductive and would destabilize all arrangements hitherto made at the district level in the Northeast to address the several consequences of the calamity," said Mr. Sampanthan, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian in a letter addressed to the Sri Lanka President requesting her to rescind the order given to the Armed Forces to take over the management of the Welfare Camps in the Northeast.


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Trincomalee Tsunami victims face health hazard in camps

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 January 2005, 02:18 GMT]
"Sunday's Tsunami has killed lot of our children and mothers. Our national leader Mr.Pirapaharan has issued a clear instruction to us that we should not lose our children anymore in the future. He fears that our children are facing danger of being succumbed to epidemic after Tsunami devastation,"said Mr.Thooyavan, Head of LTTE Planning Department addressing representatives of international and national non-governmental organizations in Trincomalee district now engaged in relief works in Tsunami affected coastal areas.
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"Hijacking relief supply to Trincomalee should be stopped"-Elilan

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 December 2004, 15:26 GMT]
A District Task Force (DTF) was established in the Trincomalee district Friday to co-ordinate all relief supplies to victims of Sunday's Tsunami and take steps for the rehabilitation of the coastal areas destroyed in the calamity with the Government Agent Mr.Gamini Rodrigo as its chairman. Mr.S.Elilan, head of the Trincomalee district political secretariat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Major General Sumith Balasuriya, Commanding Officer of Sri Lanka Army for the Trincomalee district and representatives of international and national non-governmental organizations are other members of the DTF, sources said.
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Authorities Hinder Help to Tsunami Affected Regions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 December 2004, 23:27 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) faces difficulties in conducting relief operations in the eastern district of Sri Lanka. Divisions of the Sri Lanka army and police as well as Sinhalese groups stop trucks with aid cargo at Habarana junction, which links Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts, and divert them to the south saying that the three eastern districts do not need more aid.
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NorthEast death toll nears 10,000, Amparai badly hit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 December 2004, 15:07 GMT]
"More than 10,000 people are dead in areas across NorthEast. In Amparai alone there were 5350 dead," said Liberation Tigers, Tuesday afternoon. Cadres of Liberation Tigers and local non-Governmental organizations are working round the clock to provide rescue and relief effort to people in Mullaitivu, said Col.Soosai, Head of the Sea Tiger Wing of the Liberation Tigers. "No international aid from Donor agencies have reached Vanni, and we are using our own resources and assistance provided by the expatriate Tamils which is beginning to reach us," Soosai added.
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