Eyewitness says little could have escaped wave

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 21:29 GMT]
“We went from the hospital to retrieve some bodies of people killed by the first wave near the Pandiruppu beach. We saw at a distance another massive wave, more than hundred feet high, speeding towards Kalmunaikudi. It was like a diagonal wall rising out of the sea. The sight was terrible. We ran for our lives. I do not believe that anything could have survived the force of that wave”, said a doctor at the Kalmunai base hospital Monday.
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Wave toll increases in NorthEast

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 21:19 GMT]
More than 1000 people feared dead in Batticaloa district and around 800 are feared dead in Trincomalee, civil sources in the east said. TRO sources in Kilinochchi said that they feared around 2000 were dead in Mullaitivu district and around 1000 in Jaffna district. 500 bodies have been placed in Thalaiadi hospital in Jaffna's southeastern coast, and 75 bodies have been taken to Kilinochchi hospital. TRO volunteers are searching for bodies under debris of destroyed buildings.
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Large number killed by Tsunami said children

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 19:04 GMT]
A large number of children were killed by Tsunami waves in Sri Lankaís northeast, rescue workers and local journalists said. Thousands of children have been wounded in the floods and are still without access to first aid, they said. Lack of transport and roads destroyed by the monster waves are slowing rescue work in Mullaithivu, Mutur, Batticaloa and Amparai, according to aid workers.
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TRO appeals for urgent assistance

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 12:50 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), an independent Non-Governmental Organization registered with Government of Sri Lanka, appealed to the Tamil expatriates Sunday to donate towards meeting the humanitarian crisis unfolding following the tsunami wave triggered flooding in residential areas along the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. Majority of families affected were from the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.
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At least 500 feared killed by Tsunami waves in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 December 2004, 04:12 GMT]
At least five hundred people are feared killed as fierce waves from the sea hit Sri Lanka' eastern and southern coasts Sunday morning. Initial reports from the east said that many coastal villages of the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai districts were hit by powerful tidal waves causing extensive destruction as thousands of homes were covered by rising sea waters. Around 25 villages are reported to have been swept off by the tidal waves of the Tsunami.
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Dhanapala visits Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 2004, 05:33 GMT]
Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala, Secretary General of Sri Lanka's Peace Secretariat and Senior Advisor to Sri Lanka's President, visited Ampara on Wednesday "in pursuance of a policy of visiting the six district offices of the SLMM for the purpose of ensuring the smooth implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA)," a media release from the Secretariat said Wednesday.
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More than 200000 families hit by floods in northeast

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 December 2004, 17:39 GMT]
More than two hundred thousand families have been affected by the heavy rains and floods in the northeast, offials said. Batticaloa has the largest number of flood afflicted people - more than 75,000. There are 65,000 in Amparai and more than 40,000 in Kilinochchi Mullaithivu and Trincomalee. Around 4,000 families are affected by the floods and rain in Jaffna. Traffic on the main highway from Batticaloa was blocked as it went under 4.5 feet of flood waters Thursday.
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130,000 families affected by flood in east

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 December 2004, 12:29 GMT]
The recent flood in the three district of the eastern province, Batticaloa, Amparai and Trincomalee, has affected about 130,000 families. The breakdown is 61,588 in Batticaloa, 69,048 in Amparai, and 1,799 in Trincomalee. Eight persons including two children died till Thursday night in these districts due to heavy rain and flood. Most of the deaths were due to severe cold. No death has been reported from Trincomalee district, social service sources said.
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Heavy rain, flood disrupts normal life in east

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 09:53 GMT]
Several villages in the three districts of the eastern province, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai are inundated with floodwater following incessant rain since Saturday. Several hundreds of families in the three districts residing in low-lying areas have been evacuated and given shelter in schools and other public buildings, social services sources said.
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‘No Karuna group, only SLA psy ops’ –Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 December 2004, 04:47 GMT]
“Sri Lanka military intelligence has from time to time unleashed brutal state terror in the East, using individuals and paramilitary groups such as PLOTE Mohan and Razeek group. There is no Karuna group operating in the East now. The recent violence in the East in the name of ‘Karuna group’ is a continuation of this state terror by the SLA,” said Mr. E. Kausalyan, the political wing leader of the Liberation Tigers in the East, speaking to journalists at the LTTE secretariat in Kokkadicholai Saturday.
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Handicap International inaugurates rehabilitation centre

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 2004, 07:41 GMT]
Handicap International inaugurated its Physical Rehabilitation Centre in Batticaloa on Friday, 3 December, to mark the International Day of People with Disability, in the presence of representatives of the Batticaloa District Secretariat, NGOs community, UN agencies, ICRC and the Batticaloa Health Services, sources said.
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Residential training for Young journalists in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 December 2004, 12:07 GMT]
Opening event of a one week residential training program organized by the Tamil Young Journalists Association of Batticaloa- Amparai started Friday in Batticaloa, sources from the eastern province said. Several senior Tamil journalists gave lectures in their fields of expertise to attending young journalists from the area during the opening day of the event.
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LTTE Commanders speak on Pirapaharan's 50th

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 November 2004, 05:06 GMT]
Senior Commanders of the Liberation Tigers (LTTE) and Senior members of LTTE's Political Wing, sent congratulatory messages to the Leader of LTTE Velupillai Pirapaharan on reaching 50 years, France-based Tamil Television Network (TTN) reported.
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LTTE political worker shot dead in Akkaraipattu

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 15:45 GMT]
A political worker of the Liberation Tigers was shot dead by gunmen suspected to be from a paramilitary in Akkaraipattu town, 64 kilometres south of Batticaloa, Thurday around 5 p.m. The LTTE political worker, identified as Umakanth, 21, died on admission to Kalmunai Hospital, Police said. "We condemn the murder. The Sri Lankan security forces have to bear full responsibility for his death", said Mr. E. Kousalyan, head of LTTE's political division for Batticaloa-Amparai.
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Batticaloa prepares for Maaveerar Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2004, 15:08 GMT]
Events commomerating LTTE martyrs were held in several Heroes' cemetaries as Batticaloa prepared to celebrate Maaveer's Day on Saturday. Liberation Tigers Military commanders and Leaders of Political wing atttended memorials in Kaluwanchikudi, Tharavai Heroes cemetary and Thandiyadi Heroes cemetary where Tamileelam National flags were hoisted followed by lighting of sacrificial lamp and floral tributes to martyrs, sources said.
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Batticaloa LTTE honours martyrs parents

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 24 November 2004, 12:03 GMT]
Parents of martyrs of Libertion Tigers were honoured at an event held at Batticaloa Mahajana College Hall Wednesday. Batticaloa Amparai district Head of the Women's Political Wing Ms Kuveni addressing the event told the parents that only because of the courage of their sons and daughters that Tamil people are close to reaching their goals.
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Tigers, SLA discuss security of LTTE political workers

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2004, 13:37 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers met Sri Lankan armed forces representatives Friday at the truce monitoring mission office in Batticaloa for discussions on the security of their political activists who are working in the eastern town. At the meeting, the Tigers pointed out that LTTE members are, contrary to the spirit of the cease fire agreement, harassed by Sri Lankan armed forces when they show their official identity cards. This hinders the LTTE's political work in areas controlled by the Sri Lankan government in Batticaloa, the Liberation Tigers told Sri Lankan armed forces delegation.
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NE health sector employees demonstrate against discrimination

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2004, 17:18 GMT]
Hundreds of employees of North East Department of Health Services Wednesday noon held a one hour demonstration at the junction along Inner Harbour Road in Trincomalee that leads to the office of Provincial Governor and later went in a procession and handed over a memorandum to a representative of the Governor demanding that they be paid the increased salary of three thousand rupees as paid to employees of other provincial councils in Sri Lanka, trade union sources said.


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Dissident SLMC MPs sworn in as ministers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 18:02 GMT]
Mr.Najeeb Majeed, Mr.Rishard Badiudin and Mr.Ameer Ali, dissident parliamentarians of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Saturday afternoon were sworn in as Ministers without cabinet rank by Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge. With these appointments, total number of ministers, ministers without cabinet rank and deputy ministers has risen to 76, parliamentary sources said.
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'Will reconsider meetings if civilians are harassed' - Kausalyan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 October 2004, 08:18 GMT]
''We explained to the Sri Lankan armed forces about the fear among civilians caused by the drastic increase in searching and checkpoints. We are very carefully considering the progress of these meetings in relation to these developments. If the harassment of civilians continue thus we would be compelled to reconsider our participation in these meetings'', said Mr. E. Kousalyan, head, political division of the Liberation Tigers for Batticaloa-Amparai, speaking to the press at the conclusion of a meeting in Batticaloa between LTTE and Sri Lankan armed forces Saturday.
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