SLN rescues Tamil refugees from Mannar sandbank

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 April 2005, 11:44 GMT]
Mannar Magistrate Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Monday ordered the civil authorities to send twenty three Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to their own villages when they were produced in court on a report that Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) had rescued them from a sandbank in midsea off Talaimannar Sunday around noon, legal sources said.
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'Tender shoots of Mullaithivu'

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2005, 21:01 GMT]
A photographic exhibition highlighting the suffering of survivors in Mullaithivu of the devastation wrought by the December 26 tsunami has opened in London. Internationally renowned photographer Carlos Reyes-Manzo’s exhibition titled ‘Tender Shoots of Mullaithivu’ was formally launched at the famous bookshop, Foyles, last Thursday. The exhibition, which is named after Senthalir orphanage in Mullaithivu, which Mr. Reyes-Manzo visited in January, focuses on the plight of people in areas around Mullaitivu and comprises black and white photographs depicting the destruction wrought on coastal villages and portraits of survivors, all taken in his characteristic style.
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Thousands of Tsunami refugees stranded in rains

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2005, 19:19 GMT]
Thousands of tents in which Tamil and Muslim Tsunami refugees are sheltered in the Batticaloa-Amparai districts were flooded following non-seasonal rains in the region Sunday. Tsunami refugees in several camps on the eastern and southeastern coast said that they have no place to sleep tonight because of the rains. “The tent floors are wet or flooded. Mats and sheets on which refugee children sleep have got soggy with the unexpected rains”, said Mr. A. K Thavarajah, Divisional Secretary for Thirukkovil, speaking about the situation in Mandaanai, the largest Tsunami refugee camp in the Amparai district.
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East undergrads condemn STF

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 April 2005, 12:46 GMT]
Eastern University Students' Union (EUSU) Sunday condemned the Special Task Force (STF) of the Sri Lanka Police for unleashing terror in the east by intimidating political activists of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "We also condemn the Sri Lanka government the delay in resuming peace talks with the LTTE." EUSU said in its press statement issued Sunday.
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US Congressman visits Kilinochchi, meets with LTTE

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 10:00 GMT]
Mr. Danny K. Davis, Democratic Congressman from Chicago, Illinois and his Director of Services, Mr. Danny F. Cantrell, visited the LTTE's Political Headquarters in Kilinochchi on Saturday and met with Mr. P. Nadesan, Head of Thamil Eelam Police, sources in Kilinochchi said.
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TRO supplies tents to 120 Muslim families

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 08:13 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Trincomalee Friday handed over tents to about 120 Muslim families affected by December 26 tsunami in the Jamaliya coastal suburb of the eastern port town. These families have been living in temporary makeshift structures, sources said.
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LTTE Political Head meets with Director General of Italian Foreign Ministry

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 April 2005, 07:27 GMT]
Exploring the framework of the Joint Mechanism draft as accepted by the LTTE, in a meeting with Mr. Claudio Pacifico, the Director General of the Italian Foreign Ministry in Rome on Friday, Political Head of the LTTE Mr. S.P. Thamilchelvan noted that the inclusive and coordinated mechanism involving International NGOs, local civilian based organizations and the district level Government officials was key to the success of the internationally praised relief operations led by the LTTE initiated Task Force after the December 26 tsunami.
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Mother-Child Care centre new building opened in Akkarayan

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 16:15 GMT]
New building for the Maternity and Child Care Centre was declared open on Wednesday at Akkarayan, which is, located about 20 km off from Killinochchi at eighth milepost. The TRO of Killinochchi district with the funding Norwegian TRO constructed the newly opened building, sources said.


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Security Forces' harassment of civilians on the rise, SLMM told

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 14:16 GMT]
Citing a recent incident where a navy soldier had entered the house of a Tamil civilian and harassed and intimidated him under the pretext of holding inquiry, Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Friday requested the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in the east port town to take immediate steps to stop the intimidation and harassment of Tamil civilians by members of government security forces, sources in Trincomalee said.
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Thanthai Chelva remembered on his 107th birthday

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:43 GMT]
Mr. S.J.V.Chelva-nayakam, founder of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) and fondly called by Tamils as "Thanthai" (father) was remembered on his 107th birthday in Jaffna and Vavuniya Thursday. Jaffna Bishop of South Indian Diocese Rt Rev.Jebanesan in the capacity of Thanthai Chelva Trustee garlanded the statue of late leader Mr.Chelvanayakam which is located in the Chelva mausoleum in Jaffna town. Parliamentarian and the current President of ITAK Mr.Mavai Senathirajah and parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam also garlanded the statue, sources said.
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Jaffna court inquires Habeas Corpus applications

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:38 GMT]
Habeas Corpus Applications filed by relatives of four Tamil youths, Chandrasekaran, Nanthakumar, Jatheeswaran and Suthakaran of Ariyalai in Jaffna town who were reported missing after the arrest by the Sri Lanka Army during 1996-1997 period came up for inquiry before the Jaffna Additional Magistrate Ms Srinithi Nanthasekaran Thursday, legal sources said.
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NESOHR delegation meets UN Rapporteur on education

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 10:25 GMT]
A delegation of the North East Secretariat On Human Rights (NESOHR) led by its Vice President Mr. K. Sivapalan (Attorney-at-Law), met with Mr. Vermor Munoz Villalobos, the Special Rapporteur on Rights to Education of the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) on Wednesday in Geneva. Mr. T. Mahasivam, member of the NESOHR also participated. The NESOHR delegation submitted a detailed report about the discrimination shown to Tamils and Muslims students in Sri Lanka in the sphere of education.
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North Carolina medical relief still held by Lanka customs

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 April 2005, 05:33 GMT]
Officials of the North Carolinians for Peace (NCFP) told TamilNet Thursday that they still await resolution to clearing the 54 boxes of medical supplies held by the Sri Lanka customs. "We had good response from the offices of Congressmen Bob Etheridge and David Price, and Senator Richard Burr. They have contacted the US Embassy in Colombo and the US State Department in Washington DC. Our Chair of NCFP Relief operations has also sent a letter to the Sri Lankan Ambassador in DC," Elias Jeyarajah, President of NCFP, told TamilNet.
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Jaffna court inquires Habeas Corpus applications

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 21:08 GMT]
Habeas Corpus Applications filed by relatives of four Tamil youths of Ariyalai in Jaffna town who were reported missing after being arrested by the Sri Lanka Army during 1996-1997 period came up for inquiry before the Jaffna Additional Magistrate Ms Srinithi Nanthasekaran Thursday, legal sources said.
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Sea Tigers aid Amparai fisheries societies development

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 15:52 GMT]
The political divsion of the Sea Tigers Thursday donated eight hundred thousand rupees to the Federation Amparai District Fisheries Co-operative Socieites. The money was handed over to the President of the Federation, Mr. Ilayathamby. Thurairasah, by Ms. Thangeswary Kadiraman, Tamil National Alliance MP for Batticaloa at the political office of the Liberation Tigers in Thirukkovil. "The money is from our leader's special national fund. The donation is for building and strengthening fisheries societies on the southeast coast", said Mr. S. Ilakkiyan, head of the Sea Tigers' political division for Amparai, speaking at the brief function to present the money.
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Mannar court remands six suspects in heroin case

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 13:39 GMT]
Mr.N.M.M.Abdullah Mannar Magistrate Thursday ordered remand till April 12 for six suspects, four Indians and two Sri Lankan Tamils on a report filed by Talaimannar Police that they were allegedly transporting heroin from India by boat, legal sources said.
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Health volunteers protest, demand permanency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 March 2005, 10:55 GMT]
Fifty-five health volunteers, fifty three women and two men Wednesday began hunger strike in front of the office of the North East Provincial Ministry of Health in Trincomalee demanding that they should be made permanent. These volunteers from Kalkuda electorate in the Batticaloa district are out of about two thousand who have been working in medical institutions in the northeast province for more than two decades without any remuneration, health department sources said.
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LTTE delegation in Finland, meets with Foreign Minister and Åland representative

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 23:54 GMT]
"The Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) was supposed to bring normalcy. But, under the pretext of High Security Zones (HSZ), Tamil people were denied of access to their homes. The war-displaced people were then heavily struck by the tsunami that multiplied the hardships. The delay in institutionalising a Joint Mechanism and the continued Sri Lankan military support to paramilitary operatives in violation to the CFA clause 1.8 have created a collective sense of frustration in the minds of the Tamil People," Mr. S. P. Thamilchelvan, LTTE's Political Head explained to Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Erkki Tuomioja, who received the LTTE delegation in Helsinki on Wednesday.
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TECH Official departs for European tour

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 March 2005, 12:00 GMT]
Sivalingam Suhunan, Executive Director of the Economic Consultancy House (TECH), a Sri Lanka Government registered NGO which works exclusively in NorthEast, left for a 4-week tour of European Countries Wednesday morning, sources from Kilinochchi said. The iterinery for the privately funded visit includes Norway, Denmark, France and Germany, sources added.
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Historic Trincomalee Koneswaram temple annual festival begins

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 March 2005, 18:16 GMT]
The twenty two-day annual festival of the historic Trincomalee Koneswaram Temple located on the Swami Rock inside the Fort Frederick, which began Friday with flag hoisting ritual entered the fifth day Tuesday.
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