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Congressman Danny K Davis arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport
today morning (April 5, 2005, United Airlines 923, 11:25 AM) after his visit to
Tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka. He was received at the airport by members
of the Tamil community in the Washington area. One placard read "Thank You
and Welcome Back US Congressman Danny K Davis."
Congressman Davis visited areas of NorthEast Sri Lanka which was badly affected
by the Tsunami and which have seen very few international leaders and media
attention. He also visited areas controlled by the LTTE to inspect the Tsunami
damage and relief efforts there.
The Congressman was clearly very happy to see the people gathered to receive
him and assured them he will file a report on his trip and its findings and will raise
his concerns regarding the plight of the people in the NorthEast with the State
Department and the Congress. When the congressman was garlanded and
welcomed, he said "You have made my day!"
excerpts of a speech US Civil Righs leader Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr., delivered in Birmingham entitled "Keep on Moving.", At St.
Luke's Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., in May of 1963.
cause of freedom and human dignity. You know there are approximately 2500
people in jail right now. Now let me say this. The thing that we are challenged to
do is to keep this movement moving. There is power in unity and there is power in
numbers. As long us we keep moving like we are moving, the power structure of
Birmingham will have to give in. And we are probably nearer to solution of this
problem than we are able to realize. And don't worry about your children they are
going to be alright. Don't hold them back if they want to go to jail. But they are
doing a job for not only for themselves but for all of America and for all mankind.
Somewhere we read a little child shall lead them. Remember that was another
little child just twelve years old and he got involved in the discussion back in
Jerusalem. As his parents moved down the dusty road leading them back to their
little village of Nazareth. And when they got back and bothered him and touched
him and wanted him to move on at that moment, he said, I must be about my
father's business. These young people are about their father's business. And
they are carving a tunnel of hope through the great mountain of despair. They will
bring to this nation, a newness and a genuine quality and an idealism that it so
desperately needs.
Keep this movement going
Keep this movement rolling
In spite of the difficulties and we are going to have a few more difficulties
Keep climbing
Keep moving if you can't fly run
If you can't run walk
If you can't walk crawl
But by all means keep moving....."
Hear NPR Audio: "Keep On Moving" Speech
Several hundreds of residents of Puthukkudiyiruppu in Vanni staged a protest
Thursday demanding that the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) should
accept the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) proposal put forward by the
LTTE. The marchers warned that failure to setup an interim arrangement will
inevitably lead to renewed war.
Large number of Tamil civilians participated in a protest march held in Jaffna
town Wednesday demanding the withdrawal of State armed forces enabling the
resettlement of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced families in their
own lands and houses now being occupied by Sri Lanka government soldiers
and restore normalcy in the peninsula, sources said.
Sri Lanka Police special riot squads Friday blocked more than a thousand
Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from forcibly entering the military high security
zone (HSZ) in Thellipalai, Jaffna. The HSZ covers most of Jaffna’s northwestern
sector. Protestors and Tamil National Alliance MPs argued with the Police riot
squads. About thousand five hundred IDPs staged a protest march Friday from
Mallakam Junction to the Thellipalai Divisional Secretary’s office demanding that
they be allowed to resettle in their villages that have been garrisoned by the Sri
Lanka army for more than fifteen years.
Thousands Muslims who lost their homes when the Tsunami hit Maruthamunai,
35 kilometres south of Batticaloa, blocked the main highway to Kalmunai
Tuesday protesting against the Government of Sri Lanka for not helping them
rebuild their houses. Entire coastal suburbs of this densely populated Muslim
town were flattened by the surging sea. The protestors erected tents and cooked
on the road. Only the JVP and three Islamic groups had put up some temporary
shelters for them, the protestors said. Streets were deserted and the usually
busy town was shut down.
weaver from Maruthamunai in the East
of Sri Lanka, lost his house and job. He
had a weaving mill in his house. And he
lost his daughter in law and mother in
law as well. He says that he has no way
of feeding the family.
village in the east of Sri Lanka, which
is completely washed off. About 3,000
people killed here.
By Dushiyanthini
Kanagasabapathipillai
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