Still no government relief to North-East - Paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 2004, 05:17 GMT]
Three days after the tsunami struck on Sunday, no relief from the Sri Lankan government has yet reached the North-East, said the Jaffna-based Tamil language daily, Uthayan, in its editorial Wednesday.

"Though it is now 3 days since the beginning of the heart melting tragedy the situation reports received from many parts of the North-East have it that no relief from the Sri Lankan government has reached them as yet. This is heart-breaking indeed," said the paper.

"Organizations involved in relief work are furious about the Sri Lankan government's complacency following the call by it to the International Voluntary Organisations for relief assistance," said the editorial. "The accusation has also arisen that the Sri Lankan government and the volunteer organizations in the South show indifference and a step motherly attitude to the people of the North-East in providing the relief assistance."

"If the irresponsible lethargy shown in the South and deliberate discrimination and indifference extended to the North-East is the attitude that is displayed by the Sri Lankan Government, the journey of the government is in the wrong direction, contributing only to the enhancement of the agony and misery of the tragedy stricken people. The government should realize this from the depths of its heart and do the needful by putting itself on the right tract," the editorial said.