Since midnight Saturday October 26, 1996, Sri Lanka put its clocks six hours ahead of GMT. Most fell in line except some sections of the Buddhist clergy and astrologers.

But not the LTTE. It still continues to observe the old time - five and half hours ahead of GMT.

When appointments are made with LTTE leaders, aides who give the time for the meeting make it a point to assert, "it is our time" and "not your time."

Sign of the times
A leading UNF personality, who went to Jaffna to attend the funeral of TULF stalwart M. Sivasithamparam, found he had time on hand to attend to a few other matters.

He asked the local party man to make arrangements for him to meet fishermen in the peninsula. He readily obliged by asking the local LTTE leader for permission.

The latter made contact with the LTTE Political Office in Kilinochchi. Permission came on the radio after a few minutes and the UNF VIP met the fishermen. Ever heard of having to ask for permission from the LTTE to meet fishermen in a security forces controlled area ? Well, that is what happened though the Ceasefire Agreement has no such provision.

Bombshell
An outspoken VIP whose electronic media which has not succumbed to many a pressure to suppress the truth dropped a bombshell last week.

The occasion was a regular meeting of a body dedicated to bringing about peace. It was being held at the board room of a leading group of companies. He said someone approached him with the offer of Rs. 500,000 to suppress a story that involved the accident of the official vehicle of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody and a private lorry. It did not work.

The accident turned out to be a scandal after revelations that a female companion, a flight lieutenant, was in the car and allegations that attempts were made to substitute another airman as the driver. There were whispers that the man behind the campaign to buy silence was a millionaire Mirihana businessman, a one time supplier to the SLAF who claimed many a VVIP or VIP in the defence establishment and some media personnel were in his pocket. Insiders now say he may also come under a probe over past business transactions and whether he held assets belonging to others.

Debtor with connections
A man assigned for a top communications job under the Media Ministry was in for a great deal of embarrassment last week.

That was over State run newspapers carrying at least seven different advertisements, all to sell his assets for failing to pay up loans to a State bank.

If the amount totalled over Rs. 70 million, insiders say, what is to come will take the total to over Rs. 100 million. One can be a debtor owing millions to the State and still get plum jobs in the State sector.

That is if one has the right connections with the UNF leaders.

What price extension
One time Army Chief, Gen. Denis Perera, has been named to head a Committee to recommend guidelines for promotions, extensions of service etc. in the Army. This is to help the UNF Government formulate policy.

His report may be delayed, at least by a month, since Gen. Perera is leaving for a visit to Canada.

Whilst policy guidelines are awaited, those due to retire are making hectic efforts to obtain extensions.

One such top man in uniform, a vegetarian and teetotaller at that, went to the extent of fulfilling an uncomfortable vow - the sacrifice of a goat at a place of worship. His appeal for an extension in the top post he holds is to be made to the authorities in the coming week on an auspicious time.

New SLAF chief
Air Vice Marshal Donald Perera, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force, was on the verge of buying an air ticket to fly to Washington when the news arrived on Thursday that he should cancel all his travel plans. He was to have attended a US Government sponsored security seminar with a Navy official.

On Friday, he was summoned to the Ministry of Defence and told by Minister Tilak Marapana that he would be the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Not for LTTE
Weapons said to have been confiscated by Thai authorities early this week were not meant for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Reports from Thailand reaching local intelligence channels speak of only three rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and a few hundred rounds of ammunition for AK-47 rifles being found. They had been meant for a radical Islamic group in Indonesia.

Being bothered or not
Security forces top brass were among those present when UNF Government leaders met representatives of the Tamil National Alliance in the Kotte-Sri Jayawardenepura Parliamentary Complex recently. It related to the ongoing peace initiative with the LTTE.

Jovial remarks made there by Interior Minister John Amaratunga, was to evoke some laughter.

Seeing the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody he exhorted in Sinhala, "we are not bothered about what the Commanders do in the night."

The humour apart, even if Mr. Amaratunga was not bothered, other UNF leaders were.

It was Defence Minister Tilak Marapana who told BBC's Sinhala Service Sandeshaya that he had asked the Air Force Commander to relinquish office or face an inquiry.

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