Annai Poopathy, a supreme model for Tamils- Ilamparithi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 April 2006, 14:15 GMT]
"Annai Poopathy who sacrificed her life, in a fast-to-death protest in March 1988 protesting against the Indian peace keeping forces (IPKF) and supporting the Tamils liberation struggle, is an example for all Tamils to emulate. In all key events, like the local council elections, we have to tell the world that we Tamils stand determined and united in achieving our just aspirations," said S. Ilamparithi, Jaffna district head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE political wing, presiding at the 18th anniversary memorial celebration held Saturday 10 a.m, at Palai Maha Vidyalayam.


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Mobile service to assist NorthEast farmers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 April 2006, 17:19 GMT]
Mobile service organized by the NorthEast Provincial Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock Development, Lands, Irrigation and Fisheries in all eight districts of the province is to be inaugurated at Pampaimadu in the Vavuniya Divisional Secretariat on Monday, April 3rd. The service will identify problems faced by the farmers and to provide immediate solutions, said Provincial Ministry Secretary Mr.A.R.M.Mahrouf in a press release issued Saturday.
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UPFA victory should pave way for progress in peace- TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 March 2006, 12:33 GMT]
"Local electoral rout of Sinhala extremist parties, the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), and Buddhist monks party Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is a clear mandate to Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to move peace process forward. Urgently, the Unitary Constitution and rejection of concepts of Tamil Homeland should be removed from "Mahinda Chintanaya," and replaced with concepts supporting Tamils right to self-determination," said Sivajilingam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian commenting on the unfolding local election results giving UPFA huge victory and ITAK demonstrating its support base in the East.
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ITAK wins Trincomalee UC, PS, Thirukkovil PS, Alaiyadivembu PS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 20:24 GMT]
Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi (ITAK), the Tamil National Alliance party contesting in the local authorities elections, has won all the 9 seats in Thirukkovil and Alaiadivembu Pradeshiya Sabahs and won Karaithivu with 4 seats in Amparai district. The ITAK also won after a long time, both the Trincomalee Urban Council with 10 seats, and Trincomalee Town & Gravets PS with 6 seats. UPFA got 2 seats and UNP 1 seat in Trinco Town & Gravets PS. In the local elections results released at 2 p.m. Friday, the ruling UPFA alliance has won 116 PSs, 7 Municipal Councils (MCs) and 12 Urban Councils (UCs). The JVP has captured only Tissamaharagama, and JHU has only secured a few seats.
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Brisk polling in Amparai local election reported

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 07:04 GMT]
Brisk polling is reported in the elections for the twelve local authorities in the Amparai district, which began Thursday morning at 7 a.m. At noon about fifty percent of voters have registered their franchise. Polling to four Tamil speaking local authorities, Sammanthurai, Thirukovil, Karaitivu and Alaiyadivembu and eight Sinhala local authorities, Amparai UC, and PS of Damana, Dehiyattakendiya, Uhana, Maha Oya, Namal Oya, Padiyattalawa and Laguhala in the Amparai district are in progress, election department officials in the south-eastern district said.
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Polling commences for 266 local councils in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 March 2006, 05:16 GMT]
Polling in about 8829 centers to elect 3624 members to 266 local government authorities comprising 12 municipal councils (MC), 34 urban councils (UC) and 220 pradesiya sabahs (PS) countrywide began Thursday morning at 7 a.m. A total 11,037,763 voters are eligible to cast their franchise to elect their members from about 25,523 candidates fielded by political parties and independent groups.
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Sri Lankans go to local polls Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 20:42 GMT]
Sri Lankans will elect 4442 members for the 330 local councils in the elections to be held Thursday. In Trincomalee elections are being held after a lapse of 12 years, and in six NorthEast districts- Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa the elections have been postponed for six months.
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SLA soldiers, paramilitary cadres round up Valaichenai villages

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 06:39 GMT]
More than 150 Sri Lanka Army soldiers and around 50 paramilitary cadres belonging to three various paramilitary groups, Tuesday morning rounded up five villages in Valaichenai. The paramilitary cadres, brought in SLA vehicles around 5:00 a.m., summoned the people to Pechiyamman temple grounds and held a meeting where key operatives of Karuna Group warned the people against supporting the Liberation Tigers. Cadres from the ENDLF paramilitary group and a key operative of the EPDP group attached to the Sri Lanka Army camp in Valaichenai Harbour also took part in the show-down paramilitary operation, villagers said.
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Work on NECORD funded Veerachcholai housing project begins

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 02:50 GMT]
War affected families in Veerachcholai, a remote Tamil village in Navithanveli divisional secretariat division in Amparai district are to be provided with permanent houses under a project funded by the North East Community Restoration and Development (NECORD) programme within the next six months. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) funds NECORD. Mr.S.L.A.Careem, Deputy Director of NECORD in Amparai district laid the foundation stone for the housing scheme Monday, sources said.


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"Upsurging People's Force" warns of resuming attacks in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 March 2006, 18:39 GMT]
A handbill issued in the name of "Upsurging People's Force" in Batticaloa on Saturday warned that the "UPF" would be forced to resume attacks against the paramilitary groups and the Sri Lankan armed forces if abductions and harassments continued to take place in Batticaloa and Amparai districts.
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Local elections in Trincomalee, Amparai to be held

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 March 2006, 19:27 GMT]
Elections to 12 local authorities in Trincomalee district and 17 in the Amparai district are to be held on March 30. Elections to forty-six local authorities in the other six districts of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Mannar and Batticaloa in the North East are to be postponed by six months, Colombo media sources reported Monday evening quoting an official of the Department of Elections.
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Indian High Commissioner visits eastern province

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 11:31 GMT]
Ms Nirupama Rao, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo Tuesday morning visited the South Eastern University, which is located in Oluvil in Amparai district and discussed with the Vice Chancellor and the academic staff regarding its needs and future development. Sri Lankan Minister of Irrigation, Mr.Anwer Ismail, accompanied her. Ms Nirupama Rao arrived in Batticaloa Monday morning on a two-day tour in the eastern province by a special helicopter of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
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NorthEast Governor visits Amparai district

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 March 2006, 18:30 GMT]
Rear Admiral (Retd) Mohan Wijeyawickrema, Governor of the North East Province, is on a working tour to the Amparai district since Sunday, sources in Amparai said. He addressed heads of government departments at Amparai district secretariat Monday and at an event held at Ullai-Sarvothayapuram in Pottuvil electorate Sunday he handed over the first permanent house of the seventy constructed with the funding of the Netherlands to a tsunami-affected family from Pottuvil Jalaldeen Square, sources said.
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Tsunami affected NorthEast teachers to receive help from INGO

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 March 2006, 20:44 GMT]
Education International (EI) funded compensation scheme for NorthEast teachers affected by tsunami was inaugurated by the Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union (CTTU) in an event held Sunday in Trincomalee Vikneswara Maha Vidiyalayam, education officials said. EI has allocated 3.2 million rupees through the Sri Lanka Teachers Tsunami Rehabilitation Project for the North East for the benefit of nearly 1655 teacher-families affected by tsunami, CTTU General Secretary Mr.T.Mahasivam said.
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Workshop on "Peace and Muslims" held in Kalmunai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 05 March 2006, 16:09 GMT]
One-day workshop on the topic "Peace and Muslims" was held Sunday in Kalmunai Mahmud Girls College. Muslim Women Research Action Front (MWRAF) and Network for Sustainable Community Development (NESCOD) organized the event. Deshabandu Ms Jezeema Ismail chairperson of these two organization presided.
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SL President urged to write off agricultural loans

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 March 2006, 00:01 GMT]
Amparai District Mosques Federation (ADMF) has appealed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to write off all agricultural loans given by state sector banks to farmers who were affected by tsunami and flood. The memorandum reminded the President that according to his policy statement "Mahinda Vision" agricultural loans to affected farmers would be written off once he assumed power, sources said
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Hartal in Kalmunai supports sixth day of protest

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 February 2006, 12:10 GMT]
Businesses, banks, Government establishments and common markets in Kalmunai, Santamarutu and Kalmunaikudi were closed Monday in support of the tsunami families protesting for the sixth day in front of Kalmunai District Secretariat (Muslim Division). The protesters began their campaign Wednesday morning demanding that they should be provided with permanent houses and other related relief and assistance. The families demand the Amparai Government Agent meet with them and provide assurances to attend to their difficulties, sources in Kalmunai said.
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Mercy Corps Fair to boost Akkaraipattu food industry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2006, 17:37 GMT]
Two-day Food Processing Fair organized Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian organization which has its headquarters in the USA, UK and Hong Kong, began in Athaullah Auditorium at Akkaraipattu in Amparai district in the eastern province Saturday morning. Ms Jancie Yaden, Mercy Corps' Regional Programme Manager gave the inaugural address, sources said.
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Kalmunai protest stretches to fourth day

[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 February 2006, 17:33 GMT]
The sit-in-protest by several hundred tsunami- hit families in Kalmunai area entered fourth day Saturday in front of the office of the Kalmunai divisional secretariat (Muslim division). The protesters began their campaign Wednesday morning demanding that they should be provided with permanent houses and other related relief and assistance. However the affected families demand the Amparai Government Agent to meet with them and provide assurances to attend to their difficulties, sources in Kalmunai said.
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Kalmunai protest enters third day

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 February 2006, 11:24 GMT]
The sit-in-protest campaign by several hundred tsunami affected families in front of the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat (Muslim division) entered third day Friday and the DS office did not function as the Divisional Secretary and employees were prevented by protestors from entering the office, sources said.
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