Jungle Telegraph

18th April 1999

Talk about dual personality!

An employee of the local Red Cross Society has confessed he was driver by day and a Tiger guerrilla pistol gang member by night. This was after the LTTE had won him over.

The man who is now under interrogation has revealed the various assignments he had carried out. He had once been offered Rs 200,000 only to drive a vehicle from Udappuwa in Chilaw to a secret location in Colombo.

The vehicle was to be fully laden with explosives and its chassis/engine numbers altered. He would have to only hand it over to a party whose identities were to be provided. As is the usual practice, he was not told which target was going to be attacked. That was to be the responsibility of those taking over the vehicle. Before the mission could be executed, the man was arrested.

Near mutiny

Days before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year saw near mutiny by a large group of soldiers who were unable to return home on leave from Jaffna.

Insiders say there were no flights to take them home, the angry soldiers broke chairs and other furniture at the SLAF terminal. Even soldiers not returning home were beaten up.

SLAF authorities had to introduce special flights both on April 13 and 14 to clear as many as possible in what appears to be a recurring problem every year. The main cause is the lack of transport planes.

The Navy had earlier cleared a backlog but had not been called upon earlier to transport the soldiers. They had been waiting for flights.

Bloody smuggle

It is not only medical supplies, fuel and rations that the LTTE has begun smuggling across the Palk Straits from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Senior Army officials say stocks of blood are now being ferried across for use by wounded Tiger guerrilla cadres.

The Foreign Ministry has already initiated diplomatic contacts with New Delhi to bring about closer co-operation between the Navies of Sri Lanka and India.

Millionaires and paupers

It is not only the business community that makes contributions in cash and kind during polls campaigns. Last month saw a rather unusual exception- a one time service officer who has no other rank.

He sent two double cabs from his fleet to work for ruling party candidates in the central hills. That is not all. The man drove his own Toyota Prado, the new status symbol to replace Pajeros of yesteryears, to meet some of the contestants.

Talk of millionaires and paupers !!!

More security

Security for EPRLF strong man Varadaraja Perumal, who returned from India to resume political activity in Sri Lanka, was strengthened last week.

The move came after intelligence reports that the LTTE had detailed groups to mount surveillance on him as a prelude to launching an attack.

Despite the official blessings he has received upon his return, sleuths say the new threat will force him to curtail movements.

Special Assignment

Editorial/Opinion Contents