Monday, February 28, 2005
"Karuna is now a brand name taken under a bizarre franchise by loyalists."
The hapless Eastern Tamils have suffered a military tsunami and a natural tsunami. Now they are in for a third tsunami of intra - tiger violence: D.B.S. Jeyaraj, in Sunday Leader
Tamilnet: 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.
"This could not have happened without the knowledge of the Sri Lankan armed forces in that area", charged an LTTE commander in Batticaloa.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
"95% of the relief we have passed out have been to hindu people..."
A Missouri pastor who has spent the last year in Sri Lanka trying to spread Christianity, until the tsunami happened over this past Christmas weekend. Villages originally did not receive him well, but since the tsunami, as he helps to recover, he's also been developing a new relationship with the village: NPR Weekend Edition
Friday, February 25, 2005
"Lengthy debate at every juncture is as certain in Sri Lanka as rice is at every meal,"
The deadly tsunami sparked by a massive Dec. 26 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra killed nearly 300,000 people and displaced countless more along Indian Ocean shores far removed from the quake's epicenter.
Relief efforts have focused on the human tragedy -- but now, scientists are starting to examine the ecological consequences, and the role of natural systems in mitigating damage. In a two-part series of reports for the NPR/National Geographic co-production Radio Expeditions, Elizabeth Arnold journeys to the island nation of Sri Lanka with one of the first teams to assess the environmental aftermath: NPR Morning Edition
"I am planning to launch a scholarship program for helping the school children affected by the tsunami,"
Thillairajah Kukendran, a chartered engineer now domiciled in Canada has come forward to help the people affected by the tsunami waves.
During his stay in Sri Lanka, Kukendran has distributed cash donations and other assistance amounting to Rupees one million for the tsunami victims in the South.
He plans to launch a long-term project to help the tsunami victims. "I am planning to launch a scholarship program for helping the school children affected by the tsunami," said Kukendran: Daily News
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
"he keeps repeating three words...,"
International tsunami relief efforts have helped supply the material needs of residents of Sri Lanka's east coast. Two American men, in the region to help, say the biggest problems they are finding among Sri Lankans are psychological: NPR Morning Edition
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
"It is positive that there has been no counter-retaliation."
"It is of course a setback for the ceasefire," Solheim said after the meeting. "It is positive that there has been no counter-retaliation."
Monday, February 21, 2005
"when people are working together on specific projects a lot of differences can be resolved,"
"It is my experience whether it is in the Middle East or Northern Ireland, when people are working together on specific projects a lot of differences can be resolved,"
- President Clinton, in Sri Lanka
Sunday, February 20, 2005
"People are going to get angry...how long can we live like this",
NPR's Philip Reeves reports that Sri Lankans are still coping with frustrations and inconveniences after a deadly tsunami struck in Southeast Asia nearly two months ago: NPR Weekend Edition
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
"At more than 150,000 people, Toronto's Tamils are the largest urban community of Tamils in the world."
In our series, Whose Truth?, we look at the ties between Tamils in Toronto and their homeland. Ties that include support for the Tamil Tigers: CBC - Toronto
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
"The Sri Lankan government needs to contribute to a conducive and congenial climate for the resumption of peace talks,"
Anton Balasingham, during a meeting with a Norwegian peace envoy in London.
Monday, February 14, 2005
"In two days we will go home my darling... do not worry. We will soon go home,"
"In two days we will go home my darling... do not worry. We will soon go home," Jenita said, kissing her child's hands, cheeks and forehead,
Abilash making news on Valentine's Day around the world.
Sunday, February 13, 2005
"when they see people coming out of Sri Lanka to help them, it gives them some kind of hope..because they have lost everything."
All Things Considered, Host Jennifer Ludden checks in with Maryland doctor Sinnarajah Raguraj, who has just returned from a mission to help tsunami victims in his native Sri Lanka.
Dr. Sinnarajah Raguraj, is with IMHO.
"They are more interested in getting rid of me than doing away with Pirapaharan".
"If they want to leave, let them leave. I cannot rule like this. They threaten to leave the government even over paltry issues. They are more interested in getting rid of me than doing away with Pirapaharan".
- Sri Lanka President warns main coalition partner: Tamilnet
Saturday, February 12, 2005
"Mother Country" or "Devilish Country"?
When the Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution calling for Pirapakaran's arrest and deportation to India Nehru lost his temper. He described India not as "Thainadu"(Mother Country) of the Tamils but a "Pei Nadu" (Devilish Country). He also threatened to bring Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalitha Jayaram to trial under the Tamil Eelam penal code.
Chandranehru: Patriotic son of the Eastern Soil
By D.B.S. Jeyaraj
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
''He represented a brighter future for the LTTE and the Tamil people because he was so eager to learn and to adapt to acceptable ways,''
''He represented a brighter future for the LTTE and the Tamil people because he was so eager to learn and to adapt to acceptable ways,'' said a source with a multi-national agency working in Batticaloa. ''Kausalyan was a decent and soft-spoken man who was tired of war''.
-IPS
''Kaushalyan is not an ordinary man, he was an emerging leader,''
''Kaushalyan is not an ordinary man, he was an emerging leader,'' M K Eleventhan, Member of Parliament, told IPS.
At the time of his death Kaushalyan was coordinating the tsunami relief work in areas under Tiger control in the two districts. The Amapara and Batticaloa Districts were the two worst affected areas in the country with more than 15,000 deaths, when killer waves on Dec. 26 lashed the coastlines of Sri Lanka and a dozen other countries in the Indian Ocean rim.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
"We have always provided them helicopters when they request it.''
``I don't understand why such a senior leader was traveling this way,'' said Ratnayake, ``We have always provided them helicopters when they request it.''
- …not without any bureaucratic and political bungling, even in the recent past there were problems with providing helicopters!
"The Tamil people world over, humanitarian workers and the international community..."
"The Tamil people world over, humanitarian workers and the international community should now recognise the elements that are working hard to weaken Tamil unity,"
Killing of LTTE members engaged in political and humanitarian relief work, travelling across a Government Military controlled area, is a serious violation of the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) that provides for the travel of unarmed LTTE members. The location, its proximity to two SL military check - points and the uniformed position of the attackers are indicators to the nexus the assailants have with the military.
- LTTEPS.org
``It is a military-supported group, the Karuna faction,''
Daya Master, the Tamil Tiger spokesman, said today in a phone interview from Kilinochchi in rebel-held territory. ``They have been attacking us even after the tsunami.''
- From Bloomberg
Kousalyan was killed when his vehicle carrying nine people was attacked at about 7:45 p.m. local time on the road to Batticaloa in government-controlled territory, the army said in a statement. The ambush took place between two army posts.
Kousalyan was returning from a meeting in the town of Vanni on expanding the aid program for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami that devastated two-thirds of Sri Lanka's eastern and southern coastline, the rebels said.
.....some websites demonstrate that many (Sinhala) hardliners under the pretext of opposing the Tigers are trying to restrict aid reaching the affected Tamil people. -Sri Lanka: The State that failed its people
Monday, February 07, 2005
"Kaushalyan came under attack about five or six kilometres from the nearest army checkpoint."
- It is unclear who carried out the attack, which took place about 40km (25 miles) north-east of Batticaloa, BBC
- Mr. Kousalyan is the most senior LTTE official to be killed after Colombo and Tigers signed a cease fire in February 2002. He was returning from Vanni after discussing the expansion plans for Tsunami rehabiltation in the east, LTTE sources said, reports Tamilnet
Sunday, February 06, 2005
"The buck starts here."
If only 30% of affected people were getting state aid after five weeks then that blame or responsibility has to be borne by none other than the President who was in overall charge of the relief work and is also head of government. Former US President Harry Truman had a sign plaque on his table in the White House oval office "The buck stops here." If the game of deflecting blame or passing the buck stopped with the White House in Washington the situation in Colombo is the reverse. "The buck starts here" is more appropriate at Janadhipathy Mandhiraya.
- DBS Jeyaraj, in Sri Lanka, The state that failed its people
Friday, February 04, 2005
"This is a practice, which needs to stop and needs to stop now."
"Since the tsunami struck on 26th of December we have confirmed 52 cases of recruitment of children," he said. "So we are very pleased that 23 children have been released this weekend. But there are still 1400 children with the L.T.T.E. and this is a practice, which needs to stop and needs to stop now."
Reports VOA
Thursday, February 03, 2005
"After what happened yesterday we are not taking any chances."
"Baby 81" has become the visible face of the tsunami, Reports BBC
- Showing a face for all other lives of children the sea took away?
- In ushering the call of humanity?
- As hopeful face needing lasting peace?
"Baby 81" is so named because he was the 81st patient to be admitted to the hospital on the day the tsunami struck, BBC
"The baby is currently under tight police protection at the (Kalmunai) hospital," Dr K Muhunthan told the AFP news agency, "After what happened yesterday we are not taking any chances."
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
"It's my home."
Smell the “kuzhal Puttu” - while the smoke rising from the wood burnt clay stove “aduppu”, make curls of gray clusters - that are visible through the white light beaming through the exterior made from strips of palmyrah leaf stems ;
“kuzhal Puttu” the best, tastiest and loving breakfast one could ever ask for. Ideal seating to have the breakfast is crossed legged pretzel posture.
Somini Sengupta may have been fortunate enough to be treated with Tamil hospitality; She reports for NY Times:
Mr. Vairavamoorthy, 38, was taken to Britain when he was 2 years old. He raised money for the Tamil movement as a teenager in Britain, considered (but ultimately resisted) joining the Tigers and came here, to the Tiger capital, to volunteer with the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, officially an independent charity but closely allied to the rebels.
He brooked no criticism of the Tigers. Asked about the widespread reports of the rebel recruitment of child soldiers - Unicef has said 40 children have been drafted since the tsunami alone, a charge the Tigers have denied - Mr. Vairavamoorthy said he was unaware of such allegations. "There's a pride, you know," he said over dinner at the rebel guesthouse where he was staying. "It's my home."
Being displaced again – now by the tsunami; contrary to some reports, Selama seem to be holding onto her faith, with “thiru-neeru” (holy-ash) on her forehead….thousands of Tamil diaspora hearts responding to the call of humanity - also may be longing for such a breakfast; tsunami - finally bring us all – not just humanity, but also lasting peace!
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
"Under Bill Clinton, we started to get a sense of a community of man,"
Boca doctor's ideals bring him to refugee camp in Sri Lanka:
- Dr. Mitchell Schuster of Boca Raton, Florida, where he practices general medicine spoke to Palm Beach Post, while volunteering in Thirukovil, Sri Lanka.
- Former US President Bill Clinton has been chosen to be the UN's special envoy for tsunami relief in South Asia. Secretary General Kofi Annan selected him because of the "energy, dynamism and focus" he would bring to the job, a UN spokesman said.
- Reports the BBC
