|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 25 May 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
LTTE relief assistance to flood victims Gesture of Goodwill by Don Asoka Wijewardena and P. Krishnaswamy In a welcome and much appreciated demonstration of emerging North-South friendship, the LTTE on Thursday delivered five lorry-loads of essential items like rice, flour, milkfood and plastic utensils to Minister of Community Development P. Chandrasekaran to be distributed among flood victims in Kalutara, Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya districts. S. Pararajasinham of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) said that the Tamil community in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullativu and Killinochchi had responded positively to donate Rs 35 million worth of essential items within 15 hours. The goods were handed over to Minister Chandrasekaran by the LTTE Vavuniya Political Wing leader, Elilavan and Vanni Political Wing leader T. N. Anbarasan. Addressing media personnel, Minister Chandrasekaran said that the disaster caused by the flood in a number of districts was pathetic, and added that the Sinhalese community would be able change their image of the LTTE in the future as it had sent essential food and other necessary items quickly. Minister Chandrasekaran emphasised that the stocks of food and other items would be handed over to respective GAs and Divisional Secretaries in Ratnapura, Kalutara and Nuwara Eliya districts, ensuring equitable distribution. LTTE Vanni political wing leader T. N. Anbarasan said that it was the noble principle of the LTTE to help people in distress without racial segregation and added that the LTTE had already started to collect more essential items and that arrangements were being made to transport them to affected areas in the next few days. He noted that helping one another without resorting to violence so as to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka was a good motive of the present government and said that the LTTE was looking forward to settling Tamil problems amicably with the government. M. B. C. Silva, Secretary to the Ministry of Community Development,said that it was a laudable gesture of the LTTE's quick response to the Minister's request for donations and noted that the LTTE had created a strong peace bridge by collecting and sending essential food at this juncture. According to the Ministry of Community Development, some officials of the UNHCR and UNDP will help the food convoy to reach the destinations. The LTTE had sent 10,000 tons of dry rations, biscuits, milk food and clothes, worth Rs.4 million in six convoys, as part of its humanitarian assistance. The LTTE rushed similar relief assistance to the flood affected areas of Kalutara and the hill country areas. Late Friday evening the LTTE representatives were on their way to the Matara district with more relief assistance. LTTE's Kilinochchi Central Bureau member and chief of propaganda Anbarasan, Vavuniya political leader Elilan, Rawanan of the Vavuniya LTTE political wing and 21 people's representatives from Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya districts together with Minister of Community Development and leader of the Up-country People's Front (UPF), P.Chandrasekaran, accompanied the relief convoys that arrived last Friday afternoon at the Divisional Secretary's office in New Town, Ratnapura. Speaking amidst politicians, government officials and NGO representatives and Divisional Secretary Ms Malani Premaratne in the chair at the divisional secretariat Anbarasan, spoke in Tamil and was translated into Sinhala by Minister Chandrasekaran. He said: "The assistance from the LTTE had no political objectives but was it is a humanitarian gesture. We understand suffering of flood affected people. Loss of loved ones, destruction of homes and property. Disasters may be new to the people of the South, but not to the people of the North and East. We are human and are seeking justice for our people. We have no animosity against the Sinhala people. We are yearning to live like any of you." It was gesture of goodwill when the LTTE representatives, together with Ministers Chandrasekaran and Susantha Punchinilame, Mahinda Ratnatillake MP, Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Chairman Mohan Ellawala, Provincial Council Minister Jagath Naramheduwa and others visited a worst hit residential area in the town, Thanakolakottuwa, and offered words of solace and handed over relief packages to the nearly 50 affected families. S. Pasupathipillai, one of the 21 people's representatives talking to the "Sunday Observer" said that in every place they visited in the South, they were received with open arms and the people expressed their ardent desire for peace in the Island. The Sunday Observer spoke to some of the flood victims. A large tailor shop owner, P. L. S. Shantha said: It was like a dream. At midnight on the 17th torrents of water began to submerge the entire Ratnapura town and as my family and I had no alternative we climbed to the roof to and waited for help. I also heard people screaming for help but nobody came to their rescue. No government official helped us, after one and half days a senior police officer attached to the Ratnapura police brought us some bread. When asked about whether the shop had been insured, Shantha had not insured the shop and incurred a loss of Rs. 7.5 million. A Muslim resident of Ratnapura Thanakolawattha, Sitthi Pathima: We never expected nature would cause such enormous damage to human beings. It was a terrible experience. On night of the 17th as flood waters rushed into Ratnapura the water level was nearly 13 feet in my house. My house was completely devastated and it was miracle that my family was evacuated to a safer place by some neighbours. We were without food for two days and we lost almost everything including school books and uniforms of my two children. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
