Monday, January 5, 2009

Italy to finance water projects

The Italian Government has decided to participate in the financing of the UNHCR Special Project to improve water and Sanitation Services in selected operations in 2008/09.

Among the funds made available by the Italian Government, 250,000 Euros has been allocated to finance activities in IDP camps in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Vavuniya, Batticaloa and Trincomalee, for the construction of water wells, rehabilitation of water wells in the area of returnees, promotion of good hygienic practices, states an Italian Embassy press release.

Eastern Troops Find Claymore

A SNAP search, launched by troops of the 23 Division inVALAICHCHENAI, BATTICALOA recovered a claymore mine, weighing about 2 kgs from the area on Sunday (4) around 5.00 p.m.. 

     The claymore mine, believed to have been brought there by Tiger infiltrators, has been placed with the intention of causing bloodbath or taking it elsewhere for a terrorist mission. 

Batticaloa District - IDP information

Sri Lanka: Batticaloa District - IDP 

information updated as at 31st December, 

2008 & Access information updated as at 

31st December, 2008

Map of 'Sri%20Lanka%3A%20Batticaloa%20District%20-%20IDP%20information%20updated%20as%20at%2031st%20December%2C%202008%20%26%20Access%20information%20updated%20as%20at%2031st%20December%2C%202008'

  • Source(s): 
    - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Child injured in SLA gunfire in Batticaloa

A one and a half year old child was seriously injured Wednesday around 2:30 a.m in the indiscriminate gunfire by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from their camp located in Makilloor Ka?n?nakipuram in Ka?luvaangchchikudi police division in Batticaloa district

 

Afro-Sri Lankans

Afro-Sri Lankans Few know that in the fascinating ethnomosaic that is Sri Lanka, there is a community of Afro-Sri Lankans. They are the Kaffir of Puttalam and Batticaloa districts who stand out with their kinky hair. Historians say that they were brought by the Portuguese to Sri Lanka via Goa in the 16th century, converted to Catholicism, and made to work under very exploitative conditions.The Dutch, who followed the Portuguese, used 4,000 of them to build the Colombo Fort. Sadly, even after five centuries today, the Kaffir are mainly manual labourers. Over the years, most have merged with the Sinhalese, and only about 215 families still retain their identity. Even these have no knowledge of their original tongue, Afro- Portuguese Creole. But amazingly, the Kaffir’s vigorous Afro-Portuguese musical and dance tradition has survived the ravages of time and cultural onslaughts.

Bishop Kingsley Swampillai, Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, was expressing

Bishop Kingsley Swampillai, Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, was expressing the concerns of many locals when he complained of continuing abductions, violence and killings. It is a self-defeating policy to promote one armed group of fascists against another. And it is pity that continuing calls for a respect for the rule of law are being ignored. Sooner or later, such a policy will come to haunt the government.

Karuna Amman alias Vinayagamorthy Muralitharan was spotted swinging the night away at Bentota Beach Hotel

The Beauty & The Beast, at Bentota Beach

Dushy Ranetunge at Bentota

Karuna Amman alias Vinayagamorthy Muralitharan was spotted swinging the night away at Bentota Beach Hotel on 31st December accompanied by a lady he introduced as his girlfriend.

His wife and children are in London.

Other goons hovered while attempting to gyrate to the rhythms amidst the discomfort of pistols lodged in uncomfortable crevices.

Lasantha Wickrematunge and his delightful new wife, Sonali Samarasinghe, both of the Sunday Leader fame, quickly rose from their table and excitedly greeted Karuna Amman, who was gyrating on the dance floor.

Karuna wore a silky, shiny, black shirt. They say that you can take a man out of Batticaloa, but that you cannot take Batticaloa out of the man. Or was it Jaffna?

The woman introduced as his girlfriend was hanging onto Karuna’s neck, while Karuna was attempting to navigate unsuccessfully holding on to the lady’s hips. The hold on the neck was too uncomfortable and he pushed her arms down.

Here was a man who is held by many to be responsible for the cruel execution of some 600 unarmed policemen who had surrendered during a ceasefire, and the abduction of Tamil children for use as child soldiers. Today in Sri Lanka, he has Michael Jackson star status and is a member of parliament after having been locked up in Britain for violation of Her Majesty’s immigration regulations.

The Karuna entourage included a "white man" dressed up in a Mahinda Rajapakse costume. He too was gyrating uncomfortably, as his skirt was getting in the way of his movement.

With the Bentota beauty queen prizes all being scooped up by the Russians and the Ukranians, the "white man" in the dress was overheard commenting that Karuna’s girlfriend should have entered the competition. Since I was one of the three judges, I could authoritatively state that her chances of success had long odds.

Observing developments were two gentlemen from the old country. They could be described as "the groper" as his wife frequently complained of her husbands wandering hands. The other was a thong spotter, who was having a field day with the place crawling with Russian and Ukranian beauties. His wife was joining in the fun.

The "groper" whispered if he should go up to Karuna and ask him if he enjoyed his sojourn in the Queen’s country at her Majesty’s pleasure.

The "thong spotter" was too busy beating a hasty retreat with his family in case a suicide bomber should decide to add to the new year fireworks display at Bentota.

Another, a legend and a great thinker, who enjoys his cigars, speculated about the future of Karuna Amman.

He wondered if the man would be pardoned for his war crimes. The "groper" from the old country interjected stating that no pardon has been yet forthcoming and that perhaps charges should be filed in the courts, local and international.

An opinion was expressed that although some may regard him as Michael Jackson, others may have not forgotten, and that a suspense account may have been opened with a debit entry, in anticipation of a corresponding credit entry in some future date to facilitate the closing of the account.

The Italian, Luca Pacioli, the inventor of double entry book-keeping would be proud.

They say that accountants never die, they only lose their balance.

As midnight approached, the elegantly dressed ravishing Sonali took to the floor with Lasantha, with Karuna Amman gyrating with his girlfriend next to them. The Beauty and the Beast were rocking at Bentota Beach.