SLN bans fishing east, west of KKS harbor

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 January 2006, 00:09 GMT]
Sri Lanka Security Forces have banned fishing on seas east and west of Kankesanthurai Harbor High Security Zone (HSZ), stripping nearly six hundred fisher families from their livelihood, said K Thavaratnam, president of Jaffna District Consortium of Fisheries Unions. According to Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) officials the ban will be lifted only when violents incidents subside and Jaffna district returns to normalcy, Mr Thavaratnam further said.
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Refugee homes gutted by fire in Pesalai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 December 2005, 16:05 GMT]
Eleven temporary shelters with cadjan roof tops, out of more than one hundred such huts in the open refugee camp (ORC) located in the premises of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation in Pesalai in Mannar district, were gutted by fire Tuesday afternoon around 2.30 p.m. The families have lost all their belongings and have been given shelter in the Vettrimatha Church, which is now housing several families driven out of the One Hundred Housing Scheme following the claymore mine attack on Sri Lanka Navy personnel, sources said.
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NorthEast remembers victims on Tsunami Anniversary

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 December 2005, 17:34 GMT]
Rev. Fr. James Pathinathar declared St. Peters Church in Mullaitivu a Tsunami Memorial as thousands gathered in Mullaitivu and Maruthankerni coast in Liberation Tigers held areas to mark the first anniversary of the devastating tsunami Monday. Mourners paid floral tributes, garlanded and placed food offerings in makeshift burial sites of their loved ones. A year after the disaster, promises of International reconstruction aid remains largely unused amidst Colombo's objections to allow aid flow to the NorthEast.
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Veteran NorthEast sportsman dies

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 December 2005, 00:00 GMT]
Mr.A.S.Gunaratnam, retired Assistant Director of Sports in the North East Provincial Education, Cultural, Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry and currently Assistant Director of the North East Youth Affairs Ministry passed away Friday in Colombo after a brief illness. He had been a colorful personality in the field of sports not only in the North East but also at the national level. He had been fluent in all three languages, Tamil, Sinhala and English. He was 68 at the time of his death, family sources said.
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Brattskar visits tsunami transit camps in Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 December 2005, 03:37 GMT]
Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, Hans Brattskar, toured tsunami affected Mullaitivu area and visited transit centers housing tsunamil refugees to directly witness their living conditions. Ambassador Brattsker arrived in Mullaitivu at 2.30 p.m. Sunday after travelling overland from Jaffna via A9 highway, sources said.
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Floods in Northeast strands tsunami displaced

[TamilNet, Monday, 21 November 2005, 23:30 GMT]
Over three thousand tsunami and war affected refugees living in transitional shelters and temporary huts in the NorthEast have been again displaced due to heavy rain during the last two days. Normal life in several parts of the northeast province has been disrupted and several low-lying areas in the districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi and Mullaithivu have gone under floodwater. Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) has deployed volunteers to provide basic facilities to displaced families who are now being sheltered in public and school buildings and with relatives. Hundreds of families have been affected by torrential rains in Batticaloa and Trinco districts.
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Low voter turnout in Omanthai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2005, 11:33 GMT]
No votes were cast until mid-day at the sixty two cluster booths near Omanthai Sri Lanka Army (SLA) checkpoint. However, few Omanthai residents turned up in the afternoon, sources in Omanthai said. Voting was brisk in Muslim and Sinhala areas in Vavuniya inside SLA controlled areas.
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Election travel restrictions at Omanthai Checkpoint

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 November 2005, 13:18 GMT]
In a meeting held at the Vavuniya secretariat Monday at 3.30 p.m., Sri Lanka Army (SLA) high level officials and, Vavuniya district election Commissioner and Government Agent Mr S Shanumugam, decided to restrict travel at the Omanthai checkpoint and disallow heavy vehicles during Sri Lanka presidential elections on 16th and 17th November, secretariat officials said.
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Japan gifts $1.3m medical equipment to hospitals

[TamilNet, Monday, 31 October 2005, 12:49 GMT]
Government of Japan handed over Rs. 130 million worth of Medical Equipment to improve the healthcare facilities in 33 hospitals in tsunami affected areas, a press release from Embassy of Japan issued in Colombo today said.
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Amparai to hold Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 October 2005, 17:06 GMT]
The final event in the series of Tamil National Resurgence Convention is to be held in Amparai district in the east at the Thambiluvil Maha Vidiyalayam grounds on November 12, organizers said. Mr.Kanagasabai Pathmanathan, Amparai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, has been visiting villages in Amparai to conduct consultative meetings with local Tamil activists, sources said.
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Vanni hospital aims high

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 October 2005, 00:02 GMT]
Doctors, both foreign and from Tamil diaspora, have been visiting hospitals in the NorthEast, often bringing new medical equipment and training local medical practitioners with invaluable surgical knowledge and other medical diagnostic skills. Dr K Sivapalan, Medical Director at Dr Ponnampalam Memorial Hospital in Puthukkudiyiruppu, Mullaitivu district, himself has been to U.S for four weeks recently looking at different medical facilities, is keen to capitalize on and encourage diaspora interest to develop his hospital into a premier medical institution in the NorthEast.
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White cane day in Vanni marks symbol of independence

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 October 2005, 13:33 GMT]
A cultural festival including dance, drama, and music is scheduled to take place in Puthukkudiyiruppu Central School Hall on 19 October to celebrate the "White Cane" safety day marking the progress of visually impaired children and adults in the NorthEast. In 1963, United States Congress designated 15 October as the White Cane Saftey Day callling the people to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
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Vanni bank awards prizes to thrifty children

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 October 2005, 01:54 GMT]
Officers of the Social Economic Development (SED) bank awarded prizes for 127 children who managed to save more than Rs 2000/- in their piggy banks, as part of the bank's "Future charm" savings project in an event held at the Pradeshya Sabha building in Puthukkudiyiruppu Mullaitivu district at 10.30 a.m. Thursday.
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Court remands Tamil youths arrested in Trincomalee seas

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 October 2005, 21:03 GMT]
Trincomalee Magistrate Mr.S.Ramakamalan Monday ordered remand till 14th October for the four Tamil youths who were arrested by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) when they were allegedly video-taping the Trincomalee naval headquarters. The arrested youths are from Kayts, Kopay, Mullaitivu and Uyilankulam, and their ages ranged from 19 to 29, legal sources said.


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International children's day celebrated in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 October 2005, 16:44 GMT]
Children from nine chidren's homes in Mullaitivu and Kiliochchi districts participated in International Children'day celebrations that included sports competitions and cultural events held in the Kilinochchi Central Play grounds Saturday, sources in Vanni said. Supporting events were also held in Akkarayan, Pooneryn and Vaddakachchi, according to event organizers.
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Thousands attend Jaffna Pongu Thamil rally, seek Army withdrawal

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 September 2005, 14:51 GMT]
An estimated two hundred thousand people attended the Tamil Resurgence celebrations in Jaffna Friday at Jaffna University Grounds, calling for the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to vacate the Tamil homeland and declaring that the Tamils right to self-determination is non-negotiable. Speakers at the rally said the event recognizes the Vavuniya proclamation and condemned the one-sided punitive measures taken by the European Union against the Liberation Tigers.
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Jaffna gets ready for sixth Tamil Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 September 2005, 15:00 GMT]
All roads in Jaffna district will lead to University Grounds Friday September 30 where the Tamil Resurgence Convention, is to be held. This is sixth in the series of such conferences held in recent months, first Vavuniya, second in Batticaloa, next in Killinochchi, fourth in Mullaitivu and fifth held at Mannar Wednesday.
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Preparations underway for Jaffna Resurgence Convention

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 September 2005, 22:22 GMT]
Large number of women, majority of them internally displaced currently sheltered in welfare centres and refugee camps across Jaffna district, took oaths at an event held Sunday at the Jaffna University Kailasapathy Auditorium to make the Tamil Resurgence Convention scheduled to be held on 30 September in Jaffna town a success, sources said.


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Tens of thousands attend resurgence event in Mullaithivu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 September 2005, 17:11 GMT]
Tens of thousands of people from Mullaitivu district, including the tsunami ravaged coastal areas participated in the Tamil Resurgence event held at Malathi Sports Ground, Puthukudiyiruppu, Wednesday evening at 3:30 p.m. The event was organised by the Tamil National Resurgence Task Force to bolster the Vavuniya Declaration. Red-Yellow bi-colour flags were seen flying in all parts of Mullaithivu.
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Election Commissioner holds talks with heads of armed forces, Police

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 September 2005, 16:58 GMT]
Mr.Dayananda Dissanayake, Commissioner General of Elections Monday morning held discussions with the heads of three armed forces, Sri Lanka Army (SLA), Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) regarding the security to be provided during the forthcoming presidential election which is expected to be held during the second week of November this year, Deputy Commissioner of Elections Mr.W.Siriwardene said.
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