• TULF's Jaffna secretary killed
• Govt. dismisses British MP's mediation visit
• Roll out the barrel before midnight
• Telecom chairman sacked
• CBK to discuss LTTE, trade with Vajpayee

TULF's Jaffna secretary killed

By Christopher Kamalendran

The secretary of the Jaffna district Branch of the TULF and a well known MGR orter was shot dead by suspected LTTE cadres in the Nallur area last afternoon, a party spokesman said.

Ponnathurai Mathimuga–rajah, 50, a TULF member for more than 30 years was shot dead at a public function to commemorate the 11the death anniversary of the Tamil Nadu leader, M.G. Ramachandran .

He had attended the function in the morning and come for the ceremony for the second time when he was shot.

He was the founder member of the All Ceylon -MGR Front and currently the president of the organisation. He was also a supporter of the AIADMK led by Jayalitha Jeyaram.

TULF sources described him as one of their best orators and an active member of the youth front earlier.

Immediately after the shooting incident a cordon and search operation had been launched to arrest the gunman.

Mr. Mathimugarajah's killing was the first major incident after the LTTE gunned down Jaffna's Mayors Sarojini Yopgeswaran and K. Sivapalan this year.

Govt. dismisses British MP's mediation visit

By Our Diplomatic Editor

The Foreign Ministry has vetoed the visit of a British MP who has offered himself to negotiate between the government and the LTTE.

Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Southwark-Bermondsey, has been informed that the Government of Sri Lanka will not offer any assistance to him during the planned visit he was to make to Sri Lanka on New Year's Day.

The MP represents a constituentcy which has a large number of Sri Lankan Tamils. He has planned to visit Sri Lanka with a team of advisers, including Professor Thiru Kandiah, formerly of the University of Peradeniya. Mr. Hughes has offered his 'energy and skills' to bring about peace in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Hughes has hoped to meet President Kumaratunga, Deputy Defence Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Justice Minister G.L. Peiris, the Mahanayakes, NGO's, and the British High Commissioner in Colombo. He has also planned to visit the Wanni to meet the LTTE.

The government has said no Ministers will meet the British MP and denied his request to go to the Wanni. It has made it clear that it will not accept mediation from any individual.

Mr. Hughes had said if the LTTE was willing to discuss the possibility of working towards peace talks he wanted to visit the Wanni area and wanted the Government to agree to his proposed visit.

The MP had written to the Sri Lankan High Commiss-oner in London, explaining his proposed visit to the country.

Roll out the barrel before midnight

By Nilika de Silva

Revellers who plan to drink and dance their way into the New Year at hotels will be in for a little disappointment.

The bad news is they cannot order any liquor after midnight Friday. The good news, however, is that they would be able to order their booze and pay early for it.

Many leading hotels said last night their bars would close at midnight Thursday. No liquor will be sold thereafter because Friday, January 1, is a Poya day.

Officials at Colombo's five star hotels told The Sunday Times last night they would abide by the law and ensure no liquor was sold after midnight. Only one leading hotel said they hoped to serve though how they planned to do it was not clear.

However, hotel officials said they could not stop revellers from consuming liquor they had ordered before midnight. "It would be a better idea for groups sharing tables to order by the bottle," said an official in one star class hotel.

Excise Department officials say they are legally empowered to raid any bar that sells liquor on a Poya day. But he admitted their staff would not be adquate to monitor sales on a New Year's eve when the largest volume of liquor is consumed.

So it will be a question of following the letter of the law but not the spirit.

Telecom chairman sacked

By Ayesha R. Rafiq

A row between Telecommunications Minster Mangala Samaraweera and Sri Lanka Telecom Chairman Hemasiri Fernando has reached a climax with the SLT Chairman being sacked.

Mr. Fernando said yesterday he believed his sacking was a result of 'misunderstandings on policy matters between him and the minister for the past nine months'.

He said he had been informed by the Finance Ministry Secretary that a letter announcing his dismissal had been sent to the Public Enterprises Reforms Commission, and that he would receive a copy of it tomorrow.

In an initial reaction, an official of the Telecom Engineers' Union said they would meet tomorrow to discuss the sacking of Mr. Fernando and other matters which they consider unfair, including concessions given to other telephone operators.

CBK to discuss LTTE, trade with Vajpayee

By Bandula Jayasekera in New Delhi

President Chandrika Kumara-tunga arrives here today for wide-ranging talks which will cover a number of bilateral issues and possibly LTTE's latest peace offer.

The highlight of the visit is the signing of a landmark trade agreement between Sri Lanka and India. Though officials from both countries were working hard to finalise the draft text, agreement is yet to be reached on some key issues. Diplomatic sources here said they covered some matters relating to percentages that had to be incorporated in the agreement.

The trade agreement is the brainchild of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. A reduction in tariff, particularly on the Indian side, trade, investment and joint ventures, mainly among small and medium scale businesses, are said to be among highlights of the agreement.

New areas such as biotechnology, electronics, information technology and atmospheric sciences are also to be covered.

If no finality is reached, these sources said, the President may delegate the task of signing to Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadir-gamar. He has spent over a week in the Indian capital making himself available to promptly resolve issues that required policy directions. He has also taken the opportunity to meet senior Indian ministers including Defence Minister George Fernandes, to whom he gave a brief on the security situation. Mr. Kadirgamar is a member of the National Security Council.

Diplomatic circles in New Delhi attach great significance to President Kumaratunga's talks with Premier Vajpayee. Official sources said the President will brief the Indian leader on the recent offer by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabha-karan, to conduct peace talks and the Govt.'s own response to it.

"As close neighbours, it is natural for Sri Lankan President to keep India informed of an issue that extends across the Palk Straits," a Sri Lankan official who did not wish to be named said. He, however, cautioned that "too much meaning should not be attached to this issue alone. The visit has other greater significance since Sri Lanka heads the SAARC."

Accompanying President Kumaratunga to New Delhi is Cultural Affairs Minister Lakshman Jayakody. The two are to participate with Mr. Kadirgamar in the renovation of the Maha Bodhi Society Pilgrims Rest project initiated by High Commissioner Mangala Moonesinghe.

Besides talks with Premier Vajpayee, President Kumaratunga is also to call on Indian President K. R. Narayanan and opposition Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.