Patch Adams leads a clown trip to tsunami hit villages in the east

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 12:32 GMT]
Dr Patch Adams, a doctor from West Virginia, USA, recently visited the remote villages that were badly hit by the December 26 tsunami in the NorthEastern districts of Amparai, Batticaloa and Trincomalee with a team of 30 clown healers. Dr Adams, a former patient who inspired the Robin Williams movie "Patch Adams" released in 1998, believes in laughter, joy and creativity as integral parts of an effective healing process.
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Kavadapaddi residents receive self-employment assistance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 11:40 GMT]
Tsunami affected residents of Kavadapaddi village in Amparai district received assistance in the form of sewing machines, boats and fishing nets for self-employment from Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working exclusively in the NorthEast, sources in Amparai said.
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Amparai observes hartal over STF assault

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 10:54 GMT]
A hartal was organized Tuesday by Amparai residents protesting the violent incident at the Mandaanai Tsunami refugee camp where the Special Task Force (STF) personnel from Kanjiranguda camp attacked nine cadres of Liberation Tigers including Mr. S Kuyilinban, head of LTTE's political division for Amparai, Monday, severely injuring them, sources said. Transportation came to a standstill and the markets in the district were closed, according to sources.
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Thamilchelvan expresses serious concern over CFA violations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 05:32 GMT]
"Norwegian facilitators should take serious note of the deteriorating situation which tends to have adverse effects on the CFA, the peace process and most importantly, post-tsunami management", Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head told Norwegian Special Envoy Mr. Erik Solheim who met him in Vienna on Monday. Thamilchelvan expressed serious concern over attacks on Liberation Tigers political officials and unarmed cadres in Amparai and Batticaloa in Sri Lankan military controlled areas. In the meantime, situation is tense in Amparai on Tuesday as protestors called for a Hartal condemning the STF attack on LTTE's Political Head for Amparai, Mr. Kuyilinpan.
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Fizzled tsunami leaves two dead during evacuation

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 20:08 GMT]
So far, there is no indication of unusual wave activity in the sea said TamilNet correspondent for Batticaloa who visited a coastal part of the eastern town around 3 AM Tuesday. A boy was killed in a an accident involving a lorry in Mavadippalli and an old women died while fleeing in Kalmunai, according to initial casuality reports from Amparai. First "Tsunami" wave reached Colombo at about 1am (local time) and is less than one foot (10") in height according to information received by US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency) measured at location with coordinates 6-59N 79-51E in Colombo.
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Evacuation underway in NorthEast coastal areas

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 18:49 GMT]
As a precautionary measure to avoid a possible tsunami from a 8.2 richter scale aftershock near Sumatra, LTTE units are evacuating coastal village residents and refugees in transit camps to higher grounds, sources said. FM radio and TV stations continued to provide updates on the quake that hit Sumatra Monday at 16.10 hrs GMT. Temple bells in almost all villages were rung alerting people to evacuate.
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NEHRP to reconstruct 7,000 houses in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 15:57 GMT]
The World Bank (WB) funded North East Housing Reconstruction Programme (NEHRP) is to reconstruct 4000 houses destroyed in the war and 3000 houses destroyed by the tsunami in the coastal areas, sources said.
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STF assaults, injures LTTE political head for Amparai

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 March 2005, 11:32 GMT]
Mr. S Kuyilinban, head of LTTE's political division for Amparai was admitted to Kalmunai Hospital with serious injuries after he was severely assaulted by Special Task Force commandos at a Tsunami refugee camp 76 kilometres south of Batticaloa Monday. Two LTTE political workers were also seriously injured when the STF assaulted brutally at the Mandaanai Tsunami refugee camp in the Thirukkovil area. The injured LTTE political officer and his colleagues were transferred from Amparai Hospital to Kalmunai for fear of their safety, the LTTE media spokesman for Batticaloa said.
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Canadian delegation visits Trincomalee, sees WUSC activities

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 March 2005, 19:16 GMT]
A Canadian parliamentarian delegation led by Ms Maria Minna arrived in Trincomalee Thursday around noon on a fact-finding mission accompanied by Mr.Jean-Philippe Linteau, Political Officer of the Canadian High Commission in Colombo. Other members of the Canadian delegation were Mr.Derek Lee, Mr.Joe Comartin, both parliamentarians and a Senator Mr.Jospeh Day.
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Red Cross signs MoU to reconstruct tsunami hit medical institutions

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 13:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) have undertaken to reconstruct, renovate, repair and equip General Hospitals, Base Hospitals, District Hospitals, Rural Hospitals, Peripheral Units and Central Dispensaries in the tsunami affected areas throughout the island.
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Three model resettlement villages opened in Amparai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 March 2005, 03:05 GMT]
Three additional temporary model resettlement villages for tsunami affected coastal area residents in Amparai district was ceremonially opened Saturday, civil sources in Amparai said. A community of 30 houses in the 10th division of Karaitivu, a 30 house scheme in Aalaiyadivembu village, and another 70 house community model village in adjoining area of Karaitivu declared open and the ownership certificates awarded to residents at the inauguration events, sources said.
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Arrest rising chauvinism, extremism, TNA tells Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 March 2005, 12:15 GMT]
Accusing Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister of "inciting the forces of chauvinism and extremism" in Sri Lanka by rushing to describe World Bank official Mr Peter Harrold's statements on Liberation Tigers, without checking their veracity, as "provocative," Mr Sampanthan, parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in his statement in Sri Lanka's parliament on the current political situation, urged the Sri Lanka Government to speak with one voice regarding taking the peace process forward, parliamentary sources in Colombo said.
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International Women's Day celebrated across NorthEast

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 12:16 GMT]
Events celebrating International Women's day were held across the NorthEast including Thambiluvil Madhya Maha Vidyalayam in Thirukovil, Cultural Hall in Trincomalee, Town Hall in Vavuniya and in Jaffna district Tuesday, sources said. In Trincomalee Ms Kaaronja, LTTE Trincomalee district women political wing head hoisted the Thamileelam National Flag at the Trincomalee Cultural Hall at the commencement of the International Women's Day event amid protest by a member of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).
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Muslim abducted, killed in Batticaloa north

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 March 2005, 07:29 GMT]
A Muslim auto rickshaw driver who was abducted Tuesday evening by unidentified gunmen in the in the general area of Kadjuwatte, about 55 kilometres north of Batticaloa, was found shot dead Wednesday morning, Sri Lanka army (SLA) spokesman Brig. Daya Ratnayaka said. He blamed the Liberation Tigers for the abduction and killing. "This is a foul murder carried out by the Sri Lanka army and its lackeys calculated to destroy cordial relations between Muslims and Tamils in the east. We will not rise to the bait", said Mr. P. Thayamohan, a senior LTTE political official in Batticaloa. A member of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead in this area in an ambush on Monday.


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Protesting Muslims cook on highway in Maruthamunai

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2005, 14:26 GMT]
Thousands Muslims who lost their homes when the Tsunami hit Maruthamunai, 35 kilometres south of Batticaloa, blocked the main highway to Kalmunai Tuesday protesting against the Government of Sri Lanka for not helping them rebuild their houses. Entire coastal suburbs of this densely populated Muslim town were flattened by the surging sea. The protestors erected tents and cooked on the road. Only the JVP and three Islamic groups had put up some temporary shelters for them, the protestors said. Streets were deserted and the usually busy town was shut down.
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Alikambai villagers receive Tsunami Relief

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 March 2005, 11:46 GMT]
Residents of Alikambai, an ancient tribal village in Amparai coast, from a community of 231 families were delivered relief supplies including clothing Sunday by the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO which works exclusively in the NorthEast, sources said. The Grama Sevaka of the district assisted in distributing the supplies to the villagers.
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Home-grade purifiers provide clean water to resettlers

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 March 2005, 11:45 GMT]
In addition to setting up commercial grade water puritfication system for communities, relief organizations are experimenting with light weight purifiers for home use in new village resettlements being built for refugees from tsunami affected coastal villages in Amparai district, sources said. Families are provided training in the use of equipment and are instructed in health issues related to day-to-day use of the equipment, sources said.
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Gunman who shot Kuveni worked for SLA intelligence – paper

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 March 2005, 05:00 GMT]
The gunman who allegedly shot and grievously wounded head of Liberation Tigers’ political division for Batticaloa-Amparai (women), Ms. Kuveni and two female LTTE political activists, was a former Sri Lanka military intelligence operative, the Tamil daily Virakesari said Thursday quoting Sri Lanka army Headquarters sources. The man, now in Police custody, has been identified as Mr. Johnson Jeyakanthan (also known as ‘Pratheepan’) who had worked as an informant for Sri Lanka military intelligence, the paper quoted SLA Headquarters sources as saying.


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Wounded LTTE political activists flown to Colombo

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 March 2005, 13:21 GMT]
Liberation Tigers said the three wounded female political activists who were shot by gunmen on Sri Lanka were airlifted to Colombo for further treatment Tuesday evening. Ms. Kuveni, head of LTTE's political division (women) for Batticaloa-Amparai was seriously wounded along with two of her colleagues when gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on the near Akkaraipattu, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Monday evening. LTTE charged that the gunmen were working in collusion with Sri Lankan armed forces.
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Senior LTTE political official shot

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 February 2005, 13:54 GMT]
A senior political official and two of her colleagues were shot and seriously wounded around 6 p.m.Monday near Akkaraipattu by gunmen suspected to be from a paramilitary working with the Sri Lankan armed forces, LTTE sources in Batticaloa said. Ms. Kuveni, head of LTTE's political division (women) for Batticaloa-Amparai was traveling in a auto rickshaw with two of her colleagues in Thambattai, about six kilometres south of Akkaraipattu when gunmen riding a motorbike opened fire on them, LTTE sources said. "This could not have happened without the knowledge of the Sri Lankan armed forces in that area", charged an LTTE commander in Batticaloa.
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