9th July 2000

By Alia

North-East battle

Intelligence sources speak of a "home and home" battle in the LTTE.

Tensions had risen after leader, Velupilla Prabhakaran, tasked a northern "leader" to head a group of guerrillas from the east. Leaders in the group declared the move as "hegemonistic" and wanted a change.

They did not want a northern man to lead a full fledged eastern group.

They say the eastern boys have now been transferred en masse to their original base.

Young Turk reprimanded

The Young Turk was looking elsewhere when the boss was waxing eloquence on a ceremonial occasion with pomp and pageantry.

He was ordered to advance, reprimanded and told to take ten dips as the juniors and top rungers, all in their colourful regalia, watched.

The young man later joined the ranks and was an intense listener for the rest of the speech by the boss. No one volunteered to comment on the event.

Censor's humour

The cherubicDirector of Information and once more Competent Authority, Ariya Rubesinghe, is continuing to bear the brunt of the censorship. Yet, he has not lost his sense of humour.

Early this week, he had a meeting with media representatives to explain the renewed censorship.

In an apparent attempt to test some of the provisions in the new regulations, a scribe asked him whether he could report if a soldier was having a love affair with the wife of another man.

He responded to the query in his own inimitable way. He said the soldier was someone who carried a weapon. If he saw the report, he would first shoot the scribe, he declared in lighter vein. There was laughter all round.

Pakistan

tour on

Army Commander Lt. Gen. Srilal Weerasooriya will undertake his much delayed tour of Pakistan beginning July 11.

He is due to call on Pakistan's military ruler Gen. Pervaiz Musharaff during an elaborate programme lined up for him. He is due to return to Sri Lanka on July 18.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents