Minister Devananda gives Rs. 27 lakhs to the rehabilitate the Hindu temples in Mullaithevu

As the first stage of reconstructing the Hindu Temples affected by the war in the Mullaithevu District, the EPDP Secretary General and Hindu Affairs Minister K.N.Douglas Devananda has given Rs.27 lakhs for the rehabilitation.

The various Hindu Temple Trustees from Mullaithevu met the Minister at the Ministry around 4:00 pm on Wednesday and obtained the cheques to rehabilitate their temples, in the presence of the Director of Hindu Cultural Affairs Ministry and Hindu Affairs Consultant.

The funds were handed over to the respective temple trustees for different temples as follows: -

• Puthunagar Sivan Temple Rs.400, 000-00
  Puthkudiyiruppu
  
• Katpagavinayagar Temple Rs. 400,000-00
  Kumulumunai, Mulliyavalai
  
• Kundrinmale Kumaran Temple Rs. 400, 000-00
  Kumulumunai, Mulliyavalai
  
• Sammalanthulai Vinayagar Temple Rs. 500, 000-00
  Katsilaimadu, Ottisuttan
  
• Vattrapalai Kannagi Amman Temple Rs. 600, 000-00
  Vattrapallai, Mulliyavallai
  
• Sri Katpagapillaiyar Temple Rs. 400, 000-00
  Kanukkerni, Mulliyavallai

A Manager of a temple trustee speaking at the function said that they were proud that they were called from Vanni and the funds were given to them directly to rehabilitate the temples.

He further said that, although they had given a report in detail with proof about the damages to the Hindu Temples in Mullaithevu to the previous Minister he had neglected the matter and had written to them to come to Jaffna and collect a cheque for Rs50, 000-00. This was like pop corn for the hungry elephant, for our temple reconstruction; hence we refused to accept the cheque. He went on to say that at a time when we could not find a way to reconstruct our temples, Minister Douglas Devananda came forward to help us. The Hindu community around these temples and we are very delighted about this.

The Minister speaking at the occasion told them that he is not going to treat them any differently because they came from the uncleared areas. He said he would continue to serve the Hindu community through the Hindu Cultural affairs Ministry as much as possible and help them rebuild the temples in those areas.

He also told them that he would try to make arrangement to conduct religious training classes, vocational training etc. He asked them to submit further proposals for these programmes to the Ministry and his desire is for the people to gain maximum benefit from these programmes. The Minister informed them that he would get the details of the temples affected by the recent Tsunami from the GA and estimate the loss and rehabilitation cost and get funding as the next step towards rebuilding these temples. .

Karuna challenges LTTE leadership!

Leader of the splinter group of the LTTE, Colonel Karuna Amman has challenged the LTTE leadership for a showdown at Thoppilgala in the Eastern Province.

V. Muralitharan - nom de guere Colonel Karuna Amman has said that when he broke up with the LTTE leadership he had told his cadres to give up arms, return to their homes and lead normal civilian lives. He had also advised those who wanted to align themselves with the Wanni leadership to go to the Wanni.

''Without killing innocent people come out and fight like a man, face to face,” he had said in a statement issued on Tuesday. A Karuna loyalist was killed this week, presumably by the LTTE.

He has said that when he broke up with the LTTE leadership he had told his cadres to give up arms, return to their homes and lead normal civilian lives. He had also advised those who wanted to align themselves with the Wanni leadership to go to the Wanni.

But the LTTE was killing innocent Tamils who had returned to their villages on the grounds that they were his loyalists.

Denoucing the killing of innocents he had said: 'Come to Thoppigala camp and meet us face to face in battle'

LTTE told to take time-bound action plan to end child abuses !

New York, 24 February, (Asiantribune.com) At last UN Security Council has come forward to take action against those parties involved in child abuses and Sri Lanka’s Tamil separatist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been told very strictly to embark immediately on tangible actions, leading to a time-bound action plan to end, once and for all, the practice of child abuse.

The LTTE of Sri Lanka, named in this year's report to UN Security Council as one of the offending parties of child abuse, notified in a letter to Olara Otunnu, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which he received on Tuesday of "their readiness to enter into dialogue, using the framework of the monitoring and reporting mechanism".More http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=13503

Canada's Lloyd Axworthy urges strong action against LTTE.

Toronto, 24 February, (Asiantribune.com):Former Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy has urged the Canadian Government to take a strong stand against the Sri Lankan rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), on the issue of continued recruitment of child soldiers. Mr Axworthy’s made this call when he was interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in its program series “Whose Truth”.

He said the Canadian Tamils have a close association with the present Canadian government and that Prime Minister Martin should use this connection to remind the Canadian Tamil community that the LTTE is committing an international crime.

Lloyd Axworthy said the Canadian Tamils have a close association with the present Canadian government and that Prime Minister Martin should use this connection to remind the Canadian Tamil community that the LTTE is committing an international crime.

He explained that recruitment of child soldiers is an international crime and it is clearly embedded in the Canadian Criminal Code. He pointed out that the Rome statute, which made child soldier recruitment an international crime against humanity, was a Canadian initiative and Canada should naturally take this important move to stop LTTE’s child soldier recruitment. The Canadian Tamil Community, he said, should be asked to tell the Tamil Tigers that they cannot continue with this crime.

Mr Axworthy said Tamil Tigers had been recruiting child soldiers for many years. Human Rights Watch estimated the extent in thousands. Reports are coming that with lots kids let loose by the tsunami disaster, the use of child soldiers by the Tamil Tigers had increased, he added.

CBC’s “Whose Truth” program focused on tsunami fund raising activities in Toronto, in particular about the destination of the millions of dollars donated by Toronto Tamils to the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, an LTTE front organisation.

He said the government must make a real effort to make zero tolerance legislation about the funding of organisations that use violence or terror. This, he added, would help dry up community support to organisations such as the Tamil Tigers.