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February 2005                                                                            Volume 8 - Number 1

Tsunami Disaster Updates...

Tamil Tigers prove to be Stars in the Tsunami relief effort!

By Aaron Morningstar

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are a guerilla movement of the ethnic Tamil minority of Sri Lanka. The Tigers control much of the northern and eastern parts of the country. The Tigers fought for independence from 1983 to 2002 when they agreed on a cease-fire with the Sri Lankan government in 2002. The group pride themselves on being self-sufficient; in the Tiger controlled areas they have established their own police force, and judiciary system. Even though there has been a cease-fire since 2002 there is still heavy tension between the Tigers and the Sri Lankan government. Throughout the region there are government and rebel checkpoints set up causing difficulties in free movement.

On December 26, 2004 the region that the Tigers call theirs was one of the many communities altered by the devastating Tsunami that hit Southeast Asia. Approximately 24,000 residents in the region were displaced by the tsunami, 11,000 were left homeless. In the town of Mullaittiva 3,000 of its 5,300 residents lost there lives in the great wave. The Sri Lankan government has been criticized for slow response to relief efforts, however the Tamil Tigers are being hailed for their quick response and ability to coordinate efforts and mobilize volunteers to assist those in need.

Within hours after the tsunami hit, the Tigers had search and rescue teams assembled and mobilized. Within the first days after the tsunami they had disposed of bodies by fire, disinfected the area with cleaners, cleared the streets of debris, restored power, and established refugee camps for the displaced. In the town of Mullaittiva, the Tigers converted a college campus into a full service community for the displaced, equipped with a medical clinic, kitchen facilities, and an army of volunteers sorting out donated clothing and food for their comrades.

In many respects the Tigers have been much more successful than the Sri Lankan government with their response and recovery efforts. It is theorized that a main reason for this is because they have spent the past twenty years in a state of war. During this time they have been forced to adapt to a constantly changing and often chaotic environment.

It seems that in the wake of this devastation the Tiger rebel group and the Sri Lankan government have loosened their grip on the area allowing aid workers and supplies through check points with less scrutiny. Although the Tigers are still apprehensive fearing if the government is given too much freedom in the area they will lose the respect they hold and their established validity to the region. Some figures on both sides are saying that even though there is still tension between the Tigers and the government one thing is certain, there will have to be political concessions in order for the area to rebuild.

Source:

Tamil Tiger Guerrillas Directing Aid Effort

In Ruined Town, Rebels Outperform Officials

By John Lancaster

Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, January 4, 2005; Page A08