Tamil Canadian Food Relief Support for Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.

Dear Tamil Canadian Community Members & Friends,

We hope all of you are keeping well and safe. While we have our own challenges and uncertainties here in Canadian, the situation in war affected Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate with continued curfew / lock down. A large number of daily wage-earning families are on the brink of starvation. Over the last two weeks, thanks to generous donors, the Canadian Tamil Congress has been successfully working with partners on the ground in Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka to deliver basic food rations to the most vulnerable families impacted by the COVID-19 lockdown.

Your donation has allowed us to deliver one week worth of food items to approximately 250 most vulnerable families (per district) across 6 districts in Northern and Eastern Provinces, (Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi in the Northern Province and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai in the Eastern Province) totaling about 1,500 families. The package includes: Rice 5 kg, Sugar 1 kg, Lentils 1 kg,Tea 100 grams,Soap bars 2 or 250 grams Soya meat.

For daily updates on the work that has been completed on the ground, please visit: http://www.canadiantamilcongress.ca/covid19-food-relief-north-east-srilanka/

Without this vital support, recipients of this aid who are daily wage earners would be left to face starvation. Having said that, our work is far from done. We continue to be approached by agencies seeking immediate assistance from us and we would like to do our best to complete the two remaining districts of Mannar and Jaffna and accommodate aid requests from agencies that serve Upcountry Tamils and Tamils who have recently returned from Tamil Nadu to North and East Sri Lanka.

Thanks to your help, we have reached about 80% of our goal and we need your help to reach $20,000 by the end of this weekend (Sunday, April 12). We are pleading for your help in sharing this campaign with your friends and family and urge them to donate towards this time-sensitive campaign.

Donations can continue to be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/food-relief-for-vulnerable-population-in-sri-lanka

Please assist by sharing this link within your network.

If you have any questions, concerns or need any clarification, please contact me at 647-300-1973 / dantont@canadiantamilcongress.ca

Trincomalee District

Mullaitivu District

Vavuniya District

Former Parliamentarian Sajin de Vass Gunawardena has been appointed as the Chief Organiser for the Ambalangoda Electorate and District Leader by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the US and to the UN Office in Geneva, Jayantha Dhanapala passed away at the age of 85, while receiving treatment at the Kandy National Hospital. The Director of the Kandy National Hospital confirmed that the former diplomat had passed away after suffering a heart attack

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Vadivel Suresh who is on a collision course with the party is to decide on his political fate tomorrow after meeting a representative of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and also Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa. Mr. Suresh told the Daily Mirror he will be attending two meetings tomorrow, one with a representative of the President and the other with Mr. Premadasa.

Marcia V. J. Kran, Canadian lawyer and expert member of the UN Human Rights Committee, pressed Sri Lanka delegate Major General Kulatunga about his role in overseeing the Joseph Camp in Vavuniya, plagued with allegations of torture, and the Army Court’s denial of war crimes. Kulatunga served as Commander of the notorious Wanni Security Force Headquarters in Vavuniya, commonly referred to as the Joseph Camp, from 2016-2017. The camp has been marked by repeated accounts of torture and sexual violence throughout the armed conflict, with more recent accounts of torture dated as late as 2017.

Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thera said every time an election approaches, the Government brings up an unnecessary issue and this time around it was the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This was at a time when the majority of citizens were going hungry. He said no politician in this country truly serves the country or the people.

The body of a female, suspected to be murdered was found at the Race Course Ground in Colombo 7 a short while ago. Police said the body was found near the scoreboard at the Ground. The cinnamon garden Police has commenced the investigation. Police said the victim was aged 23 years and was a resident of Homagama.

Sri Lanka President and the finance Minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe said military personnel will be given the opportunity to retire early after completing 18 years of service.

Sri Lanka is unikely to get an International Monetary Fund deal in December as originally expected with delays in dealing with China and India which are out of the Paris Club as well as ‘bilateral issues’, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said. Sri Lanka has to get ‘creditor assurances’ on debt restructuring from bilateral lenders before the IMF’s executive board endorses a reform program formally.

All banks and the Colombo Stock Exchange will be closed next Monday (Oct 10). The Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (08) announced that the holiday has been declared in lieu of tomorrow’s public and bank holiday. Tomorrow has been declared a public, mercantile and bank holiday for Milad Un-Nabi celebrations as well as owing to the Vap Full Moon Poya.

There is no force behind appointing former premier Mahinda Rajapaksa again. The Rajapaksa tide has already died down, Kalutara district Samagi Jana Bala (SJB) MP Kumara Welgama said. He responded to a journalist's question about Mahindananda Aluthgamage's statement that a force is being formed to re-appoint MR as premier.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa says the Government has now declared several high-security zones as a new form of illegal repression against the people.

A boat and its 46 passengers arrive at the Grand Port Maritime in the city of Le Port, Ouest of the French island La Reunion, on 17 September 2022, before being taken in charge by local authorities and getting a health check.

Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed, in his capacity of the president’s envoy to Saudi Arabia, has initiated discussions with the Saudi government last week seeking for a five year credit line of US $ 6 billion for the supply of fuel on a government to government basis, as a long-term solution to Sri Lanka’s current economic crisis, Daily Mirror learns.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s statement on the appointing of a new Cabinet of Ministers will be broadcasted tonight. According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the President’s statement will be broadcasted at 07.30 pm on all television and radio channels.

Former minister Wimal Weerawansa has said that their independent group of MPs are ready for discussions only if the state ministerial portfolio given to MP Shantha Bandara is revoked. Speaking at a media briefing today (13), he said that a group including former Finance minister - Basil Rajapaksa is in an attempt to fish MPs in their group.

Estate, Housing and Community Infrastructure State Minister Jeevan Thondaman has stepped down from the post. The decision was taken following a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the CWC team. The meeting was held yesterday.

Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera ruled out the possibility to call for a presidential election in terms of the Constitution, in the event of the current President stepping down . He was apparently responding to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa asking for the declaration of a presidential election .

The thermal power plants of the Kelanitissa Power Station has come to a complete halt due to not receiving fuel for its electricity generation, the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Additional General Manager and media spokesman Andrew Navamani said. He said the power station was shut down after 12.30 p.m today.

State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi will arrive in Sri Lanka on a two day official visit today and he will call on his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof.G L.Peiris, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his stay in Colombo. Chinese Embassy spokesman Luo Chong said the signing of an agreement promoting relations between the two nations will also take place on Sunday (9).

Human remains have been found washed ashore in Maruthamunai. The remains, mostly skeletal, were found washed ashore on the beach this morning. The Police said that it is still not clear if the body was that of an individual who was murdered or committed suicide. A Police cordon has been placed around the area where the human remains were found. Further investigations are underway.