01-16-2005, 07:11 PM
அழிவுகளால் பாதிக்கப்பட்ட அம்பாறை மாவட்டத்தில் நிவாரண உதவிகள் வழங்கும் விடயத்தில் இருந்த பாகுபாடு இலங்கை அரசாங்கமும் தமிழ் தலைவர்களும் சேர்ந்துகதைத்ததில் ஒரு இலகுவானமுடிவுக்கு வந்துள்ளதாம்.....
விசயங்கள் வலு சாதாரணமாக உள்ளதாக TRO , district director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation கூறியுள்ளார்,,,,,,,,,
<b>பி.குறிப்பு: எனது மொழிபெயர்ப்பில் தவறு இருப்பின் என்னை மன்னிதுக்கொள்ளவும்......வானம்பாடி</b>
South Asia - AFP
Problems over relief for Sri Lanka's Tamils eased: official
2 hours, 23 minutes ago South Asia - AFP
AKKARAIPATTU, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Problems over the distribution of aid to Tamil survivors of the tsunami in Sri Lanka's devastated Ampara district have eased after a meeting between the government and local Tamil leaders, an official said
"Things are much smoother now," said Ponnampalam Aathavan, district director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO). It is among a host of local and international groups providing relief for some 172,000 people in 49 camps for the displaced in Ampara district.
"In the meeting we raised all our problems and both sides agreed to cooperate more closely," Aathavan told AFP in this tsunami-battered east coast town 355 kilometres (250 miles) from Colombo.
The TRO had accused the Special Task Force (STF), a government military unit charged with keeping security at relief camps, of blocking or diverting food aid for Tamils, the overwhelming majority of tsunami victims in Ampara.
Aathavan said TRO personnel had not been allowed to distribute food they had brought and were obliged to hand it over to government officials. He said STF soldiers harassed TRO members and tore up their banners.
"Since the meeting, things have been much better," he said. "We are now allowed into the camps and we are able to distribute food ourselves."
The meeting, in Akkaraipattu on Thursday, was called by the Norwegian-headed Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission, which is observing a February 2002 truce between Tamil Tiger rebels and troops.
It was attended by Aathavan and STF district coordinating officer Upul Seneviratne, according to a joint statement after the meeting.
"Matters that were unclear and/or caused by misunderstandings were discussed and cleared up," the statement said.
"Both parties agreed to improve contact between them and try to sort out incidents as soon as possible and solve it at a local level," it added.
At Kannagipuram relief camp, around five kilometres from Akkaraipattu, local TRO officials said problems had eased and they were now being allowed to distribute food directly.
"We are no longer being harassed and are feeding the people," said TRO camp official Anbu Iyathurai, surrounded by bags of vegetables, rice and wheat.
"As a compromise, we agreed not to display our banner in the camp but at the entrance," he added. "For now we are living in peace."
Tamil member of parliament Manicavasagar Eelaventhan told AFP here the government was still discriminating against Tamils who make up the majority in the northeast and was sending most food to the Sinhalese-majority south.
"The STF is unnecessarily interfering in the daily activities of the TRO," he claimed further, adding that despite Thursday's meeting harassment of TRO officials was continuing in some camps.
"The STF sees a link between the TRO and the LTTE," he said, referring to the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which has been fighting for an independent homeland for Tamils in the northeast for three decades.
Eelaventhan said the TRO is entirely independent.
The government has denied repeated claims by Tamil leaders that it is discriminating in the distribution of relief aid.
While both government forces and the LTTE are observing the ceasefire, Norwegian-brokered peace talks have collapsed.
The December 26 tsunamis destroyed three-quarters of Sri Lanka's coastline, killing 30,920 people and initially making a million homeless.
விசயங்கள் வலு சாதாரணமாக உள்ளதாக TRO , district director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation கூறியுள்ளார்,,,,,,,,,
<b>பி.குறிப்பு: எனது மொழிபெயர்ப்பில் தவறு இருப்பின் என்னை மன்னிதுக்கொள்ளவும்......வானம்பாடி</b>
South Asia - AFP
Problems over relief for Sri Lanka's Tamils eased: official
2 hours, 23 minutes ago South Asia - AFP
AKKARAIPATTU, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Problems over the distribution of aid to Tamil survivors of the tsunami in Sri Lanka's devastated Ampara district have eased after a meeting between the government and local Tamil leaders, an official said
"Things are much smoother now," said Ponnampalam Aathavan, district director of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO). It is among a host of local and international groups providing relief for some 172,000 people in 49 camps for the displaced in Ampara district.
"In the meeting we raised all our problems and both sides agreed to cooperate more closely," Aathavan told AFP in this tsunami-battered east coast town 355 kilometres (250 miles) from Colombo.
The TRO had accused the Special Task Force (STF), a government military unit charged with keeping security at relief camps, of blocking or diverting food aid for Tamils, the overwhelming majority of tsunami victims in Ampara.
Aathavan said TRO personnel had not been allowed to distribute food they had brought and were obliged to hand it over to government officials. He said STF soldiers harassed TRO members and tore up their banners.
"Since the meeting, things have been much better," he said. "We are now allowed into the camps and we are able to distribute food ourselves."
The meeting, in Akkaraipattu on Thursday, was called by the Norwegian-headed Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission, which is observing a February 2002 truce between Tamil Tiger rebels and troops.
It was attended by Aathavan and STF district coordinating officer Upul Seneviratne, according to a joint statement after the meeting.
"Matters that were unclear and/or caused by misunderstandings were discussed and cleared up," the statement said.
"Both parties agreed to improve contact between them and try to sort out incidents as soon as possible and solve it at a local level," it added.
At Kannagipuram relief camp, around five kilometres from Akkaraipattu, local TRO officials said problems had eased and they were now being allowed to distribute food directly.
"We are no longer being harassed and are feeding the people," said TRO camp official Anbu Iyathurai, surrounded by bags of vegetables, rice and wheat.
"As a compromise, we agreed not to display our banner in the camp but at the entrance," he added. "For now we are living in peace."
Tamil member of parliament Manicavasagar Eelaventhan told AFP here the government was still discriminating against Tamils who make up the majority in the northeast and was sending most food to the Sinhalese-majority south.
"The STF is unnecessarily interfering in the daily activities of the TRO," he claimed further, adding that despite Thursday's meeting harassment of TRO officials was continuing in some camps.
"The STF sees a link between the TRO and the LTTE," he said, referring to the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which has been fighting for an independent homeland for Tamils in the northeast for three decades.
Eelaventhan said the TRO is entirely independent.
The government has denied repeated claims by Tamil leaders that it is discriminating in the distribution of relief aid.
While both government forces and the LTTE are observing the ceasefire, Norwegian-brokered peace talks have collapsed.
The December 26 tsunamis destroyed three-quarters of Sri Lanka's coastline, killing 30,920 people and initially making a million homeless.