Don't include LTTE in post-tsunami rebuilding effort - JVP

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 January 2005, 05:36 GMT]
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a major coalition partner of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance government and a self styled radical marxist party that draws on Sinhala nationalist sentiments to augment its popularity, has expressed its strong opposition to the government's bid to include the Liberation Tigers in the post-tsunami relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation process using the outpouring international aid resources.
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LTTE declares January 26 as National Day of Mourning

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2005, 16:42 GMT]
"Liberation Tigers declare 26th January as a National Day of Mourning to remember those who lost their lives in the Tsunami disaster in Tamil Homelands and in other regions of South Asia. Let us all participate in the grief and sorrow of all who have lost their loved ones on this day," said Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in a press release issued from its Kilinochchi political offices Sunday.
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Environmental officials visit Jaffna coastal areas

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2005, 16:38 GMT]
A team of the Central Environmental Authority Saturday visited Jaffna district and held discussion with representatives of fisheries co-operative officials regarding strengthening the coastal areas by constructing buffer zones following Tsunami disaster, sources said.


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"Colombo will mislead the world on aid distribution"- Kilinochchi paper

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2005, 15:11 GMT]
The Tamil daily Eelanatham, published in Killinochchi, warned in its Sunday editorial that Chandrika Kumaratunge's government will again mislead the world on distribution of the aid received for tsunami relief. The paper called on the donors to also set up mechanisms and procedures to ensure an equitable distribution of aid to all those affected, among them two thirds are from the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
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IFT urges Donors to support NorthEast apex mechanism

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2005, 15:03 GMT]
The Geneva based International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a consortium of more than 150 expatriate Tamil organizations, has called on the co-chairs of Tokyo Doner conference (Sri Lanka) to express support for an effective aid distibution apex mechanism to Northeastern region of Sri Lanka. IFT called the attention of the International Community and the Co-Chairs to examine the current post -Tsunami situation in northeastern region. Tokyo Conference on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka is scheduled to be held in Brussels in January 2005.
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Frustration of affected people growing high - Norwegian Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 January 2005, 18:32 GMT]
Emphasizing on the need for wider co-operation between President Chandrika Kumaratunga's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) visiting Minister of International Development of Norway, Ms. Hilde F. Johnson said on Saturday night in Colombo that the frustration of the tsunami affected people was growing high as a result of their needs not being met by authorities.
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Earth tremor in Mannar evokes fears of tsunami

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 January 2005, 13:39 GMT]
An earth tremor in Muthariputhurai village, located 15 km north west of Murungan in Mannar, forced 1800 residents to move to safer areas of Potkerni, Sirukandal and Pariharikandal to spend the night Friday, sources in Mannar said. Offical Sri Lanka Government agencies have not yet acknowledge the incident in Muthariputhurai, sources added.
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Equitable aid distribution, focus of Pirapaharan, Norway meet

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 January 2005, 11:39 GMT]
Leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Saturday requested the Norwegian government delegation led by its Foreign Minister Mr.Jan Petersen to ensure that the northeast region received equitable proportion of the international aid Sri Lanka is expected to receive in the aftermath of tsunami disaster. In the NorthEast region about seventy five thousand families have been affected and around 25,000 have lost their lives, the Norwegian delegation was told, Vanni sources said.
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Norwegian Ministers visit to Kilinochchi delayed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 January 2005, 04:56 GMT]
The much awaited visit by Norwegian ministers to meet with the LTTE leadership in Kilinochchi is delayed as the Norwegian team was forced to take A9 land route from Anuradhapura instead of the scheduled helicopter route to Kilinochchi due to cloudy weather conditions, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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Norway delegation meets SL President

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 January 2005, 14:00 GMT]
Norway's Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Development Mr. Jan Peterson and Ms. Hilde F. Johnson met with Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge at President's House in Colombo Friday, a press release issued by Sri Lanka Government said.
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"Loss of children has shaken us"- Thamilini

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 January 2005, 06:45 GMT]
"When we lose cadres in battles we strengthen our will to hit back at the enemy. The Tsunami losses are different, especially the loss of children has shaken us deeply. I have seen mothers carrying dead babies in their hands who refuse to accept that they are dead. They continued to kiss and caress them as if they were alive. This has been a difficult time for us," said Ms. Thamilini, the head of the LTTE’s women political wing talking to TamilNet correspondent in Amparai after the Tsunami disaster.
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Foreign aid going to South, not North- Col. Soosai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 January 2005, 18:04 GMT]
''Two third of the loss of lives and properties caused by Tsunami disaster has been in Tamil areas in the northeast province. But the Sri Lanka government is channelling vast sums of foreign aid to the south,'' said Colonel Soosai, Special Commander of Sea Tigers addressing a special discussion held in Maruthankerni in the LTTE controlled Vadamaradchchi east division in Jaffna district.


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Seruvila Tamil villages overlooked in relief distribution

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 January 2005, 16:05 GMT]
About 450 families numbering around 1000 persons in Upooral and Cheenanveli, two remote Tamil coastal villages in the Sinhala dominated Seruvila division in the Trincomalee district are not provided with dry rations and other relief by the Sri Lanka government and the World Food Programme since Tsunami hit the areas. These two villages are in the LTTE controlled areas, NGO sources said.


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EPDP walks out from Jaffna relief meet

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 16:27 GMT]
Mr.T.Mathanarajah of the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government walked out of the Jaffna District Task Force (DTF) meeting Wednesday evening protesting the participation of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), district secretariat sources said.


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Sea Black Tiger died in Tsunami remembered

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 16:01 GMT]
The remembrance event of Major Elilarasan (Nagendran Amuthan), a Sea Black Tiger of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who died in Mullaitivu in December 26 Tsunami disaster was held in his native place in LTTE held Eachchilampathu and later his photograph was taken in a procession through the government controlled area via Mahindapura army check point, Killiveddi and Kaddaiparichchan army camp to LTTE controlled Muttur east. At the conclusion a memorial plaque was laid in Sampoor war cemetery, sources said.
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Relocation of Tsunami victims in Vadamaradchchi east discussed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 15:59 GMT]
Colonel Soosai, Sea Tiger Commander Wednesday presided a conference held in Maruthankerni common hall which is located in LTTE controlled Vadamaradchchi east and discussed the question of relocating Tsunami victims of villages, Mamunai, Sempianpattu, Thalaiyadi, Maruthankerni and Uduthurai in safer areas, sources said.
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Ex-PoW brings relief supplies to Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 14:55 GMT]
Former Captain of Sri Lanka naval ship "Sagarawardene," Captain Ajith Boyagoda, brought relief supplies on behalf of the President of Ceylinco Corporation Dr.Lalith Kotalawela to Kilinochchi Wednesday, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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NPC urges Colombo to adopt a socially legitimate public policy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 11:32 GMT]
Pointing out that the Sri Lanka Government's attempts to "isolate LTTE-held areas and indeed the Tamil people from the international system," is straining the relationship between the parties and the "centralization of governmental decision making" is another unfortunate feature of post-tsunami situation, the National Peace Council (NPC) in a media release issued on wednesday advocated the need for a "sound public policy of social and economic recovery that is participatory, inclusive and socially legitimate."
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Balasingham to join Norwegian meet in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 11:30 GMT]
Liberation Tigers’ Political Strategist and Chief Negotiator, Mr. Anton Balasingham, and his wife Adele are scheduled to arrive in Kilinochchi on Friday, sources close to the LTTE told TamilNet. He is expected to participate in the meeting of LTTE leaders with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen and Minister of International Development Hilde F. Johnson who are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Thursday on a four-day visit to assess the damage and the needs of the people of Sri Lanka in the aftermath of tsunami disaster.
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US medical team functions in Point Pedro hospital

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 January 2005, 16:24 GMT]
Twenty - member US medical team commenced its services at Point Pedro government base hospital in Jaffna district Monday. Dr. Ton Davis, Head of the US medical team addressing a press briefing Tuesday said his team would be in Jaffna for two weeks, sources said.
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