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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Independence day massacre in Killinochchi remembered

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 February 2005, 11:09 GMT]
14th death anniversary of nine innocent Tamil civilians who died in aerial bombing by the Sri Lanka Air Force on 4th February, 1991 at Koolavadi, Uruththirapuram in Killinochchi district was observed Friday, Vanni sources said.
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National Day of Mourning observed in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 January 2005, 12:54 GMT]
Amid cries among those attending the various ceremonies, a highly emotional day of mourning was observed throughout the Northeast Wednesday on the 31st annivesary day of the Tsunami that devastated the Northeast on 26th of December. A wall-clock, which stopped at 8.50 a.m. on December 26 at Mullaitivu Kallapaddu Maha Vidiyalayam following Tsunami disaster was again made to tick into operation on Wednesday at 8.50 a.m. symbolizing the return of life. Tamils observe 31st day of death with special ceremonies.
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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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Amparai undergrads receive financial support

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 January 2005, 12:30 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) provided financial aid to fifty nine undergraduate students from Amparai district attending Peradeniya, Jaffna and Eastern Universities who were affected by the tsunami disasater in an event held at TRO officies in Thirukovil Monday 10 am, sources from the eastern district said.
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Equitable aid distribution, focus of Pirapaharan, Norway meet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 January 2005, 11:39 GMT]
Leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday requested the Norwegian government delegation led by its Foreign Minister Mr.Jan Petersen to ensure that the northeast region received equitable proportion of the international aid Sri Lanka is expected to receive in the aftermath of tsunami disaster. In the NorthEast region about seventy five thousand families have been affected and around 25,000 have lost their lives, the Norwegian delegation was told, Vanni sources said.
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"Loss of children has shaken us"- Thamilini

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 January 2005, 06:45 GMT]
"When we lose cadres in battles we strengthen our will to hit back at the enemy. The Tsunami losses are different, especially the loss of children has shaken us deeply. I have seen mothers carrying dead babies in their hands who refuse to accept that they are dead. They continued to kiss and caress them as if they were alive. This has been a difficult time for us," said Ms. Thamilini, the head of the LTTE’s women political wing talking to TamilNet correspondent in Amparai after the Tsunami disaster.
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EPDP walks out from Jaffna relief meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 16:27 GMT]
Mr.T.Mathanarajah of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government walked out of the Jaffna District Task Force (DTF) meeting Wednesday evening protesting the participation of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), district secretariat sources said.


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Relocation of Tsunami victims in Vadamaradchchi east discussed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 15:59 GMT]
Colonel Soosai, Sea Tiger Commander Wednesday presided a conference held in Maruthankerni common hall which is located in LTTE controlled Vadamaradchchi east and discussed the question of relocating Tsunami victims of villages, Mamunai, Sempianpattu, Thalaiyadi, Maruthankerni and Uduthurai in safer areas, sources said.
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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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Dutch Ambassador, EU official meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 12:07 GMT]
Ms. Susan Blankhart, H.E. The Ambassador for The Netherlands and European Commission’s Charge d’Affaires Mr. Wouter Wilton expressed their condolences and their "solidarity to the people of the region in distress and bereavement" when they met with the Liberation Tigers' Head of the Political Division, Mr.S.P.Thamilchelvan at the Peace Secretariat Tuesday morning, sources from Vanni said.
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Colonel Kittu remembered in Jaffna, Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 January 2005, 14:14 GMT]
Twelfth death anniversary of Colonel Kittu, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and nine other cadres was observed in Jaffna and Trincomalee Sunday. They committed suicide when the Indian Navy seized the ship they travelled in January 1993.
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Fourth anniversary of Pongu Thamil Declaration held in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 January 2005, 11:26 GMT]
An event to mark the fourth anniversary of the first Tamil Resurgence Movement (Pongu Tamil) was held Monday morning in the Jaffna University premises amid large crowd. A public meeting was also held in the Kailasapathy Auditorium. Mr.C. Ilamparithi, Jaffna district political head of the LTTE delivered the keynote address, sources said.
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Police disrupts Kittu death anniversary in Mannar, Pesalai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 January 2005, 16:11 GMT]
At least 15 civilians were injured in Mannar when the Police opened fire in air and assaulted several Tamil people when they attempted to hoist Thamileelam flag in the Pesalai town Sunday morning in preparation to hold a commemoration meeting to mark the 12th death anniversary of Colonel Kittu, senior commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and nine other LTTE cadres. Tension prevailed in Pesalai town and transport services came to halt, sources said.
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WFP Executive Director meets with Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 January 2005, 09:48 GMT]
Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP), Mr.James T. Morris, met with the LTTE's Political Head Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan and expressed encouragement by the timely engagement of LTTE and the TRO in feeding displaced people, according to a news release issued by the LTTE Peace Secretariat.
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Kofi Annan's Special Envoy visits Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 January 2005, 21:19 GMT]
Margareta Wahlstrom, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy on Relief Operations, met with the Head of the LTTE's Political Wing, Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan Saturday and expressed condolences and solidarity to the Tamil people affected by the tsunami on behalf of the UN Secretary General, sources said. Urging the UN not to allow political considerations to deter its participation in the rebuilding efforts in the Tamil homeland, Mr. Thamilchelvan told UN Envoy that the Sri Lanka government has "acted in bad faith" by bringing the military into the humanitarian equation.
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Canadian parliamentarian meets Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 January 2005, 17:20 GMT]
“All Canadian aid for Tsunami relief would be channelled through our own organisations and equitable distribution is the bottom line of our humanitarian aid for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction” said Hon. Jim Karygiannis, P.C., M.P., and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport in a meeting with the head of the Political Division Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan, LTTE's peace secretariat reported.
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LTTE denies UNICEF ‘child recruitment’ charge

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 January 2005, 10:46 GMT]
The grandmother of two children alleged by UNICEF to have been recruited and released by the Liberation Tigers rejected the accusation Friday, saying the youngsters were about to be taken into care by a orphanage as their mother was abroad and their father had abandoned the family and she (grandmother) was unable to look after them after being displaced by the Asian tsunami.
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SLMM head witnesses army harassing Elilan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 January 2005, 14:32 GMT]
Monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) led by their head Major General (Retd) Trond Furuhovde personally came to the rescue of LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Elilan when the latter was stopped by the Sri Lanka military police at Kaddaiparichchan army camp Thursday around noon for about thirty minutes for failing to get down from his vehicle and showed his identity and his baggage at the checkpoint. This incident took place after about one hour Mr.Elilan complained to SLMM head about the harassment by army during the talks SLMM head held with LTTE Trincomalee district military commander Colonel Sornam, sources said.
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World Bank, ADB officials meet Thamilchelvan

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 January 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Worldbank Country Director, Peter Harold, in a meeting with Head of LTTE Political Wing, S.P.Thamilchelvan, in Kilinochchi Friday, expressed his condolences to people over the loss of their loved ones and added, "the institutions we represent, would continue extending solidarity in the reconstruction efforts,” said the LTTE's peace secretariat website.
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