Cortege of slain Tigers in Batticaloa, Kiran

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 February 2005, 08:44 GMT]
Slain LTTE political leader, Mr. Kousalyan’s body was taken to Kiran, 28 kilometres north of Batticaloa, Wednesday afternoon for the people of the village to pay their last respects to him and his colleagues who were killed by gunmen suspected to working with the Sri Lanka military. Hundreds of people filed past the Tiger flag draped coffins which lay at Kiran Government School. “The Sri Lankan government is fully responsible for this heinous crime. Murdering these men who were working for people affected by the Tsunami is an unpardonable act. It reveals the true face of the racist Sinhala regime”, said Mr. Nadarajah Raviraj, Tamil National Alliance MP, addressing the mourners.
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LTTE leaders visit Kousalyan's wife, mother

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 16:54 GMT]
Head of LTTE Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Special Commander for Batticaloa, Col. Banu, Head of LTTE's Finance Division, Mr. S. Thamilenthi, LTTE Senior Member Mr. K. V. Balakumaran, and LTTE military commander Mr. S. Nagesh arrived in Karadiyanaru Maha Vithiyalam grounds in Batticaloa 5 PM Wednesday in a SLAF Helicopter facilitated by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). LTTE leaders visited Mr. Kousalyan's wife Pushpa in Ampilanthurai, Kokkadicholai and Kousalyan's mother and three sisters in Pandariyaveli in LTTE controlled area, LTTE sources said. Kousalyan was married in 22 March 2004, and Pushpa is 7 months pregnant, sources 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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Batticaloa shuts down for Kousalyan, funeral Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 09:33 GMT]
A total shutdown was observed in the Batticaloa district and the coastal areas of the Amparai district Wednesday to mourn the death of Mr. Kousalyan. LTTE officials in Batticaloa said that his funeral would take place Thursday afternoon and that he would be buried at the martyr’s memorial in Thandiyadi, about ten kilometers west Batticaloa town. Muslim towns in the region were also shutdown. Mr. S. P Thamilchelvan, head of the LTTE’s political division and Col. Bhanu, commander of the LTTE’s military forces in Batticaloa-Amparai are expected to arrive in the eastern district Wednesday afternoon.
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Trinco shuts down in protest of Kausalyan killing

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 February 2005, 05:11 GMT]
Trincomalee district Wednesday shutdown completely as members of all communities responded to the call of general shut down (hartal) condemning the killings of Mr.E.Kousalyan, LTTE Political head for Batticaloa-Amparai district, Mr. Ariyanayakam Chandra Nehru former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian and four others including three LTTE cadres Monday night at Pilaiyarady in Pollonnorawa district in the North Central Province, sources said.
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Sri Lanka condemns killing of Kousalyan, ex-MP Nehru at Welikanda

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 February 2005, 14:51 GMT]
The government of Sri Lanka in a statement today condemned the killing six personnel, including Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of the LTTE Batticaloa-Amparai political division and former parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru and said that it was a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
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Kousalyan killing serious setback to relief efforts, peace process- LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 February 2005, 14:37 GMT]
"We fear that these killings would have a serious impact on the humanitarian relief work undertaken now and for the recommencement of peace talks. The Tamil people world over, humanitarian workers and the international community should now recognise the elements that are working hard to weaken Tamil unity," said the Political Wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in a press release issued Tuesday.


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Wounded ex-TNA MP dies

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 February 2005, 05:07 GMT]
Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru, ex-Tamil National Alliance MP for Amparai district, succumbed to his wounds Tuesday morning in Colombo. He was seriously injured when gunmen suspected to be working with the Sri Lanka army shot dead senior Liberation Tigers official, Mr. E. Kousalyan and three members of the LTTE who were traveling with Mr. Nehru in his van to Batticaloa Monday night. Mr. Nehru was elected to Parliament at the general elections in December 2001. Mr. Nehru is the eldest son of one of the most senior leaders of the Tamil rights movement on the east coast, Mr. Arappor Ariyanayagam.
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NE Athletic Federation formed

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2005, 21:14 GMT]
The Athletic Federation of North East Province was inaugurated Saturday in Killinochchi. Representatives from eight District Athletic Association attended the inaugural meeting with Mr.K.Paapa, Head of the Tamileelam Sports Department as the chief guest. Federations for Football, Netball, Karate and Cricket Council for the North East Province would also be formed before the end of February, Mr.Paapa said at the event, sources said.
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Kousalyan killed in ambush

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2005, 16:08 GMT]
Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of the Liberation Tigers' political division for Batticaloa-Amparai district was killed in an ambush on the highway to Batticaloa Monday night around 7.45, Sri Lanka military sources said. Three persons who were travelling with him were killed and four were injured including two policemen in the attack which took place between Sri Lanka army garrisons at Welikanda and Punanai, northwest of Battialoa, according to the SLA. Mr. Kousalyan was traveling with Mr. Ariyanayagam Chandra Nehru, former TNA MP for Amparai district, who was seriously injured in the ambush.
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A question of land

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2005, 03:04 GMT]
“We appealed to the President, we appealed to the Special Task Force, we wrote to the Government Agent and we wrote to several ministers in the government. We pleaded with all of them to find us suitable land to restart our lives. We explained to them why we wanted to leave the camp for Tsunami refugees in Akkaraipattu. But no one responded. That’s why we packed our belongings and came here when we heard of this opportunity”, Ms. Pathmanathan Seetha, told TamilNet, explaining her decision to move to Kavudaapuddi, a mound overlooking the lagoon behind her Tsunami destroyed village on Sri Lanka’s remote southeast coast.
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NRC to rebuild majority tsunami-destroyed schools in NE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 February 2005, 11:18 GMT]
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has undertaken the rebuilding of 65 schools of 122, which have been destroyed or badly damaged in the tsunami disaster in the northeast province. 16 schools in Batticaloa, 20 in Amparai, 17 in Trincomalee, 9 in Mullaitivu and 3 in Jaffna is the district-wise breakdown said Ms. Bente Sandal-Aasen, Education Advisor and Co-ordinator of the NRC in Sri Lanka during her stay in Trincomalee Saturday.
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Colombo dragging feet on joint mechanism, says Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 05 February 2005, 12:11 GMT]
"The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) is still dragging its feet over the establishment of a joint mechanism to take forward the reconstruction and rehabilitation of tsunami destroyed Tamil coastal areas in the northeast province," said Mr S P Thamilchelvan, Political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) addressing a press conference following his two hour- talks with Mr Hans Brattskar, Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka held Saturday morning in LTTE Peace Secretariat in Killinochchi, sources said.
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Muslims demonstrate against Tsunami aid discrimination

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 February 2005, 15:12 GMT]
Thousands of Muslims demonstrated in the main coastal towns of the Amparai Friday against the Sri Lankan government for denying them Tsunami aid. Protestors poured out of Mosques in Sainthamaruthu, Maalikaikaddu, Ninthavur and Kalmunaikudi and Maruthamunai after Friday afternoon prayers, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the President Kumaratunga's government.
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2862 children orphaned in NorthEast due to tsunami

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 February 2005, 12:29 GMT]
About 2862 children have been orphaned in the northeast province due to December 26 tsunami, states Ms N.R.Ranjini, Director, Provincial Department of Social Services and Child Care, in a report sent to the Chairman of the National Child Protection Authority Tuesday, sources said.
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Tigers walk out in protest against JVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 January 2005, 10:04 GMT]
Liberation Tigers Monday walked out of a meeting for setting up a committee for assisting Tsunami victims at the Thirukkovil Divisional Secretary’s (DS) office in protest against a JVP Parliamentarian who had come uninvited for the conference. “We welcome everyone who comes to help our people. But this JVP politician used Tsunami assistance as a pretext to sow political hatred and Sinhala chauvinism. We walked out, objecting to his cheap political tactics”, said Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of the LTTE’s political division for the Batticaloa-Amparai district.
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US to complete withdrawal of Marines from Sri Lanka by Feb.15

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 January 2005, 10:05 GMT]
The Bush Administration has decided to complete the withdrawal of US Marines, arrived in Sri Lanka aftermath of the tsunami disaster, by February 15, with the US assistance program to Sri Lanka shifting from a combined military-civil relief effort to rehabilitation and reconstruction work to be carried out by civil organisations. Brigadier General Frank A. Panter Jr, said at a press conference at Taj Sumudra hotel in Colombo on Saturday that the CSG-SL has served over 1.5 million tsunami-affected Sri Lankans in nine districts, including Jaffna, Hambantota, Galle and Amparai.
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Tigers meet Muslim refugees in Ullai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 29 January 2005, 06:22 GMT]
A group of Liberation Tigers led by head of the LTTE’s political division for the Batticaloa-Ampara District, Mr. E. Kousalyan, Friday visited Tsunami affected Muslim refugees in the marooned Ullai-Panama region, to discuss their rehabilitation needs. The LTTE team traveled through the jungle and muddy rivers to the area, which is accessible only by boat after the Tsunami knocked down the ramp and approach road to the Arugambay Bridge last month. The refugees at the Aathimunai Welfare Centre, a mound amidst marshland and paddyfields behind Ullai told Mr. Kouslayan that their main concern is about getting a new settlement.
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STF incites trouble in Mandaanai welfare camp

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 04:04 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) soldiers had assembled the tsunami refugees in the Mandaanai camp in Amparai district Tuesday morning and had told them that relief supplies the STF was planning to deliver to the camp will not be given as the LTTE had intimated that shelter residents do not like to receive hand outs from the STF. LTTE sources said STF personnel's calculated efforts to undermine the relief efforts by the LTTE is escalating tension in welfare centers in Amparai district.
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STF harassment increases in Amparai, says Kuyilinpan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 January 2005, 13:08 GMT]
Political Head of the LTTE in Amparai, Mr. Kuyilinpan, told TamilNet Tuesday that the Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) soldiers have stepped up their harassment against the LTTE workers who are assisting the Tsunami victims in Thirukkovil and Kalmuni areas. Civilians also have been harassed by the STF, Kuyilipan added.
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