International aid necessary to rehabilitate NE hospitals - Minister

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 April 2003, 11:02 GMT]
Without interntational aid it will not be possible to renovate and rebuild hospitals damaged or destroyed by war in the Northeast province, said Minister of Health Services P. Dayaratne, addressing an event held in conjuntion with upgrading the Vavuniya General Hospital.


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Santhiveli hospital lacks staff, medicine

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 April 2003, 01:16 GMT]
The only hospital in Santhiveli village in Koralaipattu Pradhesya sabha, Batticaloa district, built in 1950, is struggling to provide services without any permanent doctor and without adequate supplies of medicines or medical equipment, sources said.


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Modern equipment assists Swiss Organization to demine NE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 March 2003, 12:41 GMT]
The Swiss Demining Federation (FSD) is currently clearing mines in Thallaimannar and in Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas surrounding villages of Pallamadu, Paapamoddai, and Periya Madhu, with a view of preparing these areas ready for resettlement, said a spokesperson for FSD, a Switzerland-based organization currently involved in demining operations in different war affected areas of NorthEast.
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Japanese Development team arrives in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 March 2003, 02:30 GMT]
A nine-member delegation of the Infrastructure Development Institute of Japan (IDI) Saturday held talks with civil officials in Jaffna regarding proposed development of roads, water supply, sanitation and flood control in the peninsula, said Jaffna district secretariat sources. The IDI team is on a fact-finding mission in the northeastern province from February 26 till March 6.
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Fourth SIHRN meeting in Kilinochichi

[TamilNet, Friday, 28 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Fourth meeting of the SIHRN took place in Kilinochchi at the premises of SIHRN secretariat. Mr. Bernard Gunatillake headed the Government delegation and S.P Thamilchelvan lead the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) delegation. Ambassador Jon Westborg facilitated the meeting on behalf of the Norwegian Government. Ambassador Seichro Otsuka of Japan participated on behalf of Mr. Yasushi Akashi, principal advisor to the Sub-Committee.
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Rising from the shambles of a counter insurgency campaign

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 February 2003, 18:01 GMT]
The large Vadamunai-Tharavai region, northwest of Batticaloa, is struggling to rise out of the havoc wreaked by one of the most sustained text book counter insurgency campaigns waged by the Sri Lanka army. A few hundred of the thousands of families which were driven out of their villages by the SLA more than 12 years ago have begun venturing back to their homesteads and lands here. But there are no schools for their children, no medical facilities for the sick, no transport, no sanitation and no basic amenities in any of the villages in the region.
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Families await resettlement in Vavuniya district

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 January 2003, 04:35 GMT]
1795 families displaced from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas and Liberation Tigers (LTTE) controlled areas in Vavuniya district have requested assistance to resettle in their villages and details of these families have been collected by the Vavuniya civil authorities, sources in Vavuniya said.


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Pirapaharan welcomes Japanese envoy, President cancels meeting

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 January 2003, 12:07 GMT]
Leader of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Velupillai Pirapaharan, sent his greetings through LTTE's political head, ThamilChelvan, to the visiting World bank Vice president, Ms Meiko Nishimizu, Special peace envoy of the Government of Japan, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, World Bank Country Director Mr. Peter Harold and other delegates to the meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation (SIHRN) which met in Kilinochchi, Voice of Tigers (VoT), reported in its late night broadcast yesterday.


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SIHRN identifies 11 projects for immediate implementation in NE

[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 January 2003, 10:31 GMT]
Mr.Yasushi Akashi, special peace envoy of the Government of Japan and Ms Mieko Nishimizu, World Bank Vice President for South Asia participated at the second day meeting of the Sub Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East (SIHRN) held Thursday at Killinochchi. Eleven projects have been identified for immediate implementation in the north and east at the SIHRN meeting after eleven hour discussion, said a press release issued at the conclusion of the meeting.
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Shelter lacking for victims of floods in Kilinochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 December 2002, 18:42 GMT]
The floods during the past few days in the Kilinochchi district have destroyed 46 homes in the Anaivilunthan area and residents have sought refuge in the only school in the area, but as the roof of the school has been damaged they are without proper shelter, officials in Kilinochchi said.
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Thousands displaced, stranded by floods in Batticaloa-Amparai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 December 2002, 23:23 GMT]
Continuing torrential rain in Batticaloa-Amparai has affected 94549 families, 8577 families have abandoned their homes and sought refuge in schools, temples and public buildings, 1406 homes have been damaged and thousands of acres of paddy fields have been destroyed by flood water, officials in Batticaloa said.


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Thousands affected by floods in NE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 December 2002, 16:35 GMT]
One hundred thousand families mainly from Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Amparai and Killinochchi, have been badly affected by the flood waters caused by torrential rains in the northeast province since Monday evening, social department officials said Tuesday.
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STF withdrawal, Muslim farming discussed in Ampara Meeting

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 November 2002, 17:42 GMT]
After the meeting of the Amparai district committee of the Sub Committee on De-escalation and Normalization, the Defence Secretary Mr.Austin Fernando who led the government delegation and Mr.Kausalyan, LTTE political head for the Batticaloa Amparai district told the press an agreement was reached to implement a phased withdrawal of Special Task Force (STF) camps now located in schools, houses and public buildings.
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Refugees eager to resettle, demand basic facilities

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 November 2002, 09:42 GMT]
"We have been languishing in refugee camps for too long. Although we like to use the current climate of peace to resettle in our own villages, without basic amenities such as housing, roads, drinking water and health facilities it will not be possible for us to move," said the internally displaced living in the Kalmadu refugee camp in Valaichenai.
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Vanni MPs slam SLA for blocking resettlement

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 September 2002, 22:54 GMT]
"If Mannar and Vavuniya districts are to be developed the Sri Lanka armed forces have to vacate our homes, and agricultural lands. We are not asking for houses or buildings in Anuradhapura and Madawachchiya. We are only asking permission to go back to our homes, to the lands of our forefathers," said the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Vanni district parliamentarian Mr.Sivasakthi Anandan addressing a conference held Friday at the Mannar district secretariat on resettlement.
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SLA says no to IDP resettlement in Vavuniya north

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 September 2002, 02:42 GMT]
A team comprising government officials, officers of the Sri Lanka Army, officials of Liberation Tigers and civilians Tuesday visited Iranai Illupaikulam and Kalmadu in the Vavuniya district to make an assessment for resettling of internally displaced persons and to recommence paddy cultivation in fields in the region abandoned due to military operations.


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People's predicament first says LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 16 September 2002, 22:19 GMT]
(Feature) The first round of formal peace talks between the Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) began Monday in the Sattahip Thai Naval base on a positive note though the head of Colombo’s negotiating team laid down in his opening speech non-negotiable elements which, according to him, should be constant in “determining the parameters of the negotiations." The Liberation Tigers, however, desisted from any reference to ‘irreducible principles.’
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Congress of Religions for LTTE ban removal

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 August 2002, 20:51 GMT]
The Congress of Religions Wednesday said that it disassociates with the statements made by some members of the organisation at a press conference held Tuesday regarding the removal of ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The Congress of Religions in its statement issued Wednesday said that especially Hindu and Christian leaders in the organisation are of opinion that that the ban on LTTE should be lifted."
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Mylanthanai massacre commemorated

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 August 2002, 00:08 GMT]
The tenth anniversary of the massacre by Sri Lankan troops of thirty nine men, women and children in the eastern village of Mylanthanai was marked Thursday by survivors who have been living in Kalmadu refugee camp. Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Army held a remembrance ceremony for the Army and Navy officers, whose deaths in a landmine attack on August 8, 1992, triggered the retaliatory massacre.
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Thadchchanamadu murder suspects identified

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 August 2002, 19:48 GMT]
All the eleven suspects in the Thadchanamadu murder case were identified Wednesday before the Mannar acting Magistrate Mr.S.A.Johnthasan. All the fifteen witnesses who were present in the court identified the accused when the identification parade was held in five. The suspects were produced under heavy security.
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