USAID funds SLRCS tsunami relief project

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2005, 12:46 GMT]
The US Agency for International AID & Development (USAID) has granted US$ 350,000 to Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) for a Relief and Assistance Project for those affected by the recent Tsunami disaster. This project will focus on four components -Cleaning the environment and removal of debris, distribution of Non Food Relief Items (NFRI), Increase Health Awareness regarding water and vector borne diseases and re-establishment of livelihood, states Mr Harasha Gunawardene, Director Communications of the SLRC.
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USS Duluth arrives in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 January 2005, 22:59 GMT]
The United States Ship Duluth arrived off the coast of Galle on Sunday evening, carrying equipment and personnel to aid in the U.S. government's humanitarian relief operations in the tsunami-affected areas of the island.
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TNA parliamentarians boycott Governor's Jaffna visit

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 January 2005, 14:54 GMT]
Jaffna district Tamil National Parliamentarians Monday boycotted the first official visit of Mr.Tyronne Fernando, Governor of the Northeast Province in protest to the government's refusal to allow Mr.Koffi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations to visit Tsunami destroyed Northern coastal areas, including Mullaitivu district, TNA sources said.
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International Red Cross President meets Prime Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 January 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Mr.Juan Manuel Suarez Del Toro Rivero, President of International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) Monday paid courtesy call on Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse at the latter's official residence Temple Trees. Mr.Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro Rivero who is currently in the island meeting with Red Cross officials and reviewing ongoing Tsunami relief and assistance programmes.
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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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LTTE slams state media speculation

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 January 2005, 08:19 GMT]
Referring to a news item broadcasted by the Government owned Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) Saturday morning, quoting Vice Admiral Daya Sandagiri as the source person, that the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Intelligence Chief of the organisation are among the dead or reported missing consequent to the Tsunami tidal wave attack, the LTTE in a press release said that it "strongly protested against the mischievous act of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, stooping down to such low level of broadcasting news that are fabricated by interested parties". This is not the time for gossip mongering and malicious propaganda, the LTTE press release said.
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Catastrophes of the past: poetic exaggeration or scientific facts?

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 January 2005, 20:19 GMT]
“To the ancient Tamil world natural calamities like the tsunami that hit the east coast on 26 December 2004 is not unknown,” says professor A.Shanmugathas, head of the department of Tamil, Jaffna University. The Sangam Literature, which is more than 2000 years old, makes reference to similar natural catastrophes (perooly) that have affected the Tamil speaking world - spreading from Cape Comarin in the South to the Vindian ranges in the North. "The history records it that tidal destruction (Kadatkol) has occurred from time to time and these facts are established by the archeological excavations. They are not imaginary accounts," he adds. This is supported by modern scientific theories.
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Expatriate Tamils urge Kofi Annan to visit Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 January 2005, 12:16 GMT]
International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of expatriate Tamil organizations based in Geneva Switzerland has appealed to the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, to include in his itinerary a visit to the tsunami ravaged region of Mullaithivu in NorthEast of Sri Lanka, in a letter sent to the UN offices through the UNDP office in Colombo.
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"Tamil people will resist SLA takeover of Welfare Centers" -Colonel Soosai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2005, 19:32 GMT]
''Our people will not accept the directive issued by Sri Lanka's President to hand over the management of Tsunami welfare centres in the government controlled areas in the northeast to the Sri Lanka Army,'' a defiant Colonel Soosai, Special Commander of the Sea Tigers, said at a conference held Thursday at the relief co-ordination office at Puththukattu junction area, sources said.


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Tsunami victims flee as SLA moves into Trinco welfare centres

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2005, 16:19 GMT]
Hundreds of Tsunami victims fled from welfare centres in the Sri Lanka government controlled areas in the Trincomalee district when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers carrying weapons entered the welfare centres to take over the management Thursday on a directive by Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, several volunteers said.


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Inquiry fixed in HC applications against army officials

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2005, 14:06 GMT]
Corporal Somaretna Rajapakse of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) who was sentenced to death in the Krishanthy Cumaraswamy rape and murder case submitted his objection in the Jaffna High Court Wednesday in several Habeas Corpus (HC) applications regarding missing persons after the arrest by army soldiers during the period 1996-1997. Corporal Somaretna Rajapakse is the first respondent in these HC applications and other respondents are former army commander Lionel Balagalle and SLA officials.


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Vanni TNA MPs oppose army take over of refugee camps

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 January 2005, 11:00 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district parliamentarians vehemently protested against the directive of the President to hand over the management of welfare centres where Tsunami victims are sheltered to the State armed forces at a conference held at the Vavuniya district secretariat Thursday with Mr.Tyronne Fernando, North east Provincial Governor in the chair, sources said.
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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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Kofi Annan to visit Mullaitivu and other affected areas

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 January 2005, 10:58 GMT]
United Nation's Secretary General Koffi Annan will visit 'some of the hardest hit areas' in Sri Lanka when he visits the country on Friday, UN sources said Wednesday. Foreign ministry sources said Koffi Annan will visit Ampara, Galle, Hambantatota and Mullaitivu, areas worst hit by the tsunami waves on December 26.
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Sri Lanka Armed Forces take over refuges, harass TRO

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 January 2005, 07:30 GMT]
In a sudden move, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces are manning the refugee camps in Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee since Tuesday. The Special Task Force (STF) in Thirukovil, Amparai have hijacked two tractors of TRO relief supplies and distributed them after removing the TRO labels. "The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Special Task Force (STF) have stepped up their harassment of workers of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO)", Mr.K.P.Reggie, Executive Director of the TRO, told TamilNet on Wednesday. The TRO has called for an urgent Press Conference today at 6pm at its Colombo office.
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LTTE urges aid for Amparai as fighters conduct relief operations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 January 2005, 07:24 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers‚ warned Monday that the recent heavy flooding in the Amparai district has exacerbated the risk of disease by dislodging bodies of victims of the Asian tsunami disaster. The Tigers' top commander in the region, Col. Banu, who crossed into Sri Lanka Army controlled territory with a section of of LTTE troops, is coordinating rescue and relief efforts in the multi-ethnic region, the LTTE's Centre for Emergency Assessment in Kalavanchykuddy said in press release Monday.


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UN Special Envoy meets Sri Lanka Red Cross President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 January 2005, 13:46 GMT]
Margareta Wahlstrom, United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy on Relief Operations is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka. She met with Mr.Jagath Abeyasinghe, President of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) Sunday to update her on the relief operations now being carried out in the Tsunami hit coastal districts of the island, SLRC sources said.
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SLA accused of burning refuge

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 January 2005, 13:41 GMT]
A hut at a refuge sheltering 67 families displaced by the tsunami to Kudathanai, Vadamaradchi, Jaffna, was burnt and all the males assaulted in an attack that has been blamed on soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army. Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr. M. K. Sivajilingam had accused local Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers of being responsible for the attack, which left at least three people hospitalized and forced all 67 families to seek new shelter.
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LTTE stepping up relief ops in Batticaloa-Amparai - Col. Bhanu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 January 2005, 07:36 GMT]
“Our leader has instructed me to involve all our fighters, medical corps, vehicles, engineering units and other resources in relief and rescue operations in the Batticaloa- Amparai district. He has sent a large number of troops from the north with supplies for this work. The Malathy Infantry Regiment has also arrived along with head of our women’s wing, Ms. Thamilini, and deputy head of political division for Jaffna, Mr. Semmanan, to help Tsunami affected people in this region and alleviate their suffering”, said Col. Bhanu, a senior military officer of the Liberation Tigers who is the overall commander for Batticaloa-Amparai District, in an exclusive interview to TamilNet.
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UN provides relief worth millions to Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 January 2005, 16:40 GMT]
United Nations Country Team in Sri Lanka has provided relief assistance worth several millions of rupees including direct cash grants, materials such as food and non-food items, medicine and technical support since last Sunday when the devastating tsunami struck the island, United Nations Information Centre in a press release issued Saturday said.
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