Services of Jaffna NGOs’ consortium commended

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 January 2004, 22:38 GMT]
“Some Non Governmental Organizations in Jaffna are only interested in self-promotion. But a few NGOs have been serving the people quiestly, despite facing several difficulties since 1995 [when the Sri Lanka Army wrested control of Jaffna], and we have to commend their service. We will join you in serving the people,” said Mr. Iniyavan, the coordinator of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization in Jaffna, speaking at the meeting to elect new office bearers of the Consortium of Jaffna NGOs Monday.
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Jaffna GA denies TamilNet report

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 2003, 11:01 GMT]
In a letter sent to Sri Lanka’s Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and forwarded to TamilNet "on advise of the Hon. Minister Prof. Jayalath Jeyawardena, MP," the GA, Mr. S. Pathmanathan categorically denied stating that the government of Sri Lanka “had not spent a red cent for rehabilitation and development in Jaffna for the last two years” at a meeting in Chavakachcheri on 27 December. The TamilNet correspondent who covered the meeting and took photographs of the event said he stands by his story.
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"Don't miss this opportunity for peace" - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 17 December 2003, 12:35 GMT]
"We call upon the Sri Lankan State to put its house in order and the bring the current constitutional impasse to an end and commence negotiations on the interim self-governing authority on the basis of proposals submitted by the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance Mr.Rajavarothayam Sampanthan said participating in the committee stage debate on the Votes of Defense Ministry in Parliament Wednesday afternoon.


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White Pigeon conducts mine awareness campaign

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 December 2003, 19:30 GMT]
The Trincomalee White Pigeon Technical Institute of Prosthesis Sunday hurriedly organized a mine risk education awareness campaign in the village of Kumburupiddy which is located in the north of Trincomalee district, about 22 km off east port town when some resettled internally displaced people reported the presence of two unexploded mines in their agricultural land discovered as they prepared the land for onion cultivation.


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Danish group demines in Kanniya

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 December 2003, 20:24 GMT]
The Danish Demining Group (DDG) has been engaged in identifying and recovering unexploded ordnance (UXO) buried in the village of Kanniya, located along the Trincomalee- Anuradhapura trunk road, about 8 k.m. northwest of the Trincomalee town. DDG workers Friday morning exploded three such mines recovered from the vicinity of the Kanniya Tamil School where children of resettled internally displaced families are studying, sources said.
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UNICEF funds mine education programme in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 December 2003, 17:52 GMT]
"Venpura" (White Pigeon) Technical Institute of Prosthesis in Trincomalee has launched a Mine Risk Education (MRE) programme in twenty villages in the district with the funding of the UNICEF, said its Co-ordinator Mr. M.J.Wilfred.


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HRC concludes Batti visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 December 2003, 11:08 GMT]
The head of Sri Lanka’s national human rights commission (HRC) Dr. Radhika Kumaraswamy, told journalists in Batticaloa Tuesday that the process of restoring normalcy in the district is still hindered. She said the Sri Lankan armed forces continue to occupy public buildings in the district and that complaints to the Police are recorded in Sinhala. Dr. Kumaraswamy said that the HRC has received complaints in the district against the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers.
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HRC visits Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 December 2003, 10:49 GMT]
Four members of Sri Lanka's Human Rights Commission (HRC), lead by Dr. Rathika Kumaraswamy arrived in Batticaloa Monday morning on a two day visit to study the situation prevailing in the eastern province, civil sources said.


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Great Heroes' Day celebrations begin in Trincomalee

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 November 2003, 00:01 GMT]
The Great Heroes Day celebrations began in Trincomalee town Tuesday morning with paying homage to LTTE martyrs of Trincomalee whose photographs have been kept in the gaily decorated Trincomalee Hindu Cultural Hall, which is located along the Inner Harbour Road facing the harbour. TEEDOR Trincomalee district head Mr.S.Tharman declared open the event by cutting the ribbon.
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Trincomalee district goes festive celebrating Heroes' Day

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 November 2003, 01:58 GMT]
More than three hundred three wheelers participated in a parade held in Trincomalee town Sunday as scheduled. The organizers said the event was arranged to create awareness among Trincomalee residents of the importance of the Great Heroes' Day to the liberation struggle of Tamils.


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German government reconstructs destroyed Trinco building

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 November 2003, 00:32 GMT]
The new building of the Sampalthivu Agrarian Services Centre (ASC), located in the village of Aththimoddai, about 7 k.m. north of Trincomalee town, and reconstructed at a cost of 2.9 million rupees with the financial assistance of Integrated Food Security Programme (IFSP) of the German Agency for Technical Co-operation (GTZ), was handed over to the Agrarian Development Committee of Sampalthivu Friday morning.
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Trinco Lions distribute mosquito nets

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 November 2003, 00:23 GMT]
The Lions International has launched a project, funded by the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), to supply free mosquito nets to low income families in the Northeast Province. Under this scheme the distribution of 16,000 mosquito nets began in Trincomalee district Sunday to control the spread of malaria in resettled villages where sanitation facilities are poor, sources said
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Resettled Kanniya farmers to get paddy store

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 2003, 17:46 GMT]
The resettled farm families in the Kanniya village, about six km north of Trincomalee town on the Trinco-Anuradhapura road, are to get a new paddy store and co-operative retail shop. Earlier the paddy store and retail shop were completely destroyed without any remains at the site in the 1990 violence by Sri Lanka’s armed forces after entire villagers fled and sought refuge in the Vanni and other areas including in India, civil sources said.
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Rotary vocational award goes to garage owner

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 November 2003, 01:48 GMT]
A leading garage owner in the Trincomalee town, Mr.V.Karunanthasivam, was honoured with the Vocational Excellence award for the year by the Trincomalee Rotary Club at an event held at Rotary House Saturday evening. Sri Lanka's Rotary Governor, Mr. Gamini Jayawardene, presented the award during his official visit to Trincomalee.


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Rotary housing project for IDP's opened in Varothia Nagar

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 November 2003, 08:26 GMT]
A housing project comprising thirty-five houses constructed at a cost of about 3.46 million rupees for the returnees of internally displaced Tamil families implemented by the Trincomalee Rotary Club with the financial assistance of German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) was declared open Saturday at Varothyanagar, a suburb in Trincomalee town by the Rotary Governor Mr. Gamini Jayawardene.
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Norwegian Advisor on Gender Issues visits Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 15:34 GMT]
Dr. Astrid N. Heiberg, the Advisor to the Subcommittee on Gender Issues (SGI) and Ms. Kjersti of the Norwegian High Commission in Colombo, visited the women’s secretariat in Kilinochchi Thursday morning and held discussions about women’s issues throughout the day, sources in the Vanni said.
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Raalkuli celebrates inauguration of ferryboat service

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 October 2003, 18:59 GMT]
Residents of Raalkuli in the Trincomalee district were in a jubilant mood Tuesday morning, saying it was a day of special significance in their lives when the Country Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Mr.John R.Cooney, made his first ever visit to the Raalkuli village using the new ferry boat supplied by the ADB funded North East Community Organization for Restoration Development (NECORD).
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NECORD reinstates ferry service to Muttur village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 October 2003, 10:34 GMT]
Raalkuli, a Tamil village in Muttur division, south of Trincomalee town, which is separated from the mainland by Mahaweli gangai, is to get a ferry service from Tuesday after nearly ten years, residents of Ralkuli said.


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WFP launches "Food Basket" programme for displaced

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 October 2003, 14:51 GMT]
The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a " food basket" scheme to support the resettled displaced families under the Protective Relief Recovery Operation (PRRO) in the districts of Killinochchi, Mullaithivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the northeast province and the border areas in the districts of Puttalam, Anuradhapura and Polonaruwa.
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STF commandos stay on in hospital

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2003, 13:57 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF), the elite counter insurgency arm of the Sri Lankan armed forces, said Wednesday it would further delay moving out of the Thirukkovil District Hospital, 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa. The hospital, which is in the midst of a large Tamil village, has been garrisoned by the STF for 17 years despite protests by local rights activists and politicians.
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