Jungle Telegraph

20th June 1999

Jungle Anonymous letter campaign

Intelligence sleuths are hot on the trail of those responsible for an anonymous letter campaign after President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga downgraded the all powerful Joint Operations Headquarters and abolished the post of Chief of Defence Staff which commanded it.

The letters are directed at some of President Kumaratunga's trusted men-Presidential Secretary, Kusumsiri Balapatabendi and Defence Secretary, Chandrananda de Silva.

What is intriguing the sleuths is the manner in which the letters were distributed.

Motor cycle riders dropped them off at the homes of opposition politicians and even journalists.

Unlike in some other cases, the sleuths are not altogether ignorant over who is behind the campaign. Some of the recipients had noted the motor cycle numbers.

'There are slip-ups even in a home and home match,' quipped one top sleuth who is conversant with the personalised media campaigns of one key player who wants to be Captain. They ask whether he is behind this campaign too!

Firm 'NO'

Soon after the ver bal duel with DIG Bodhi Liyanage, a policeman who fought for the dignity of his profession, Education Minister, Richard Pathirana, was in a calmer mood.

He asked a Government official to invite Mr. Liyanage, the SSP and SP for Galle for dinner that night. Invitations were extended but the trio did not turn up.

And now, Mr. Pathirana's effort to transfer the DIG has come a cropper. Despite raising the issue at a Consultative Committee of politicians, the answer remains a firm 'NO'.

Death of alleged assassin

Even if the recently concluded 'Op eration Ranagosa 4' did not lead to any casualties, artillery fire on LTTE positions have had its effect.

LTTE radio intercepts by intelligence authorities have revealed the death of Patel alias Ponniah Kunalingam - the man said to be responsible for the murders of TULF MP Thangathurai and UNP MP Mohamed Mahroof in Mutur.

Prawns in plastic bottles

Troops in the north have found a novel use for those one litre plastic bottles containing Coke, Pepsi and other aerated beverages. The empties are snatched up by soldiers.

Prawns which are cheaply available in the peninsula are fed into these empty bottles, one by one, and later placed in a refrigerator to freeze. They carry these frozen plastic cans with the prawns in their flight to Ratmalana and later to their homes.

The bottom part of the plastic can is then cut and the stock of prawns retrieved. Nearly a kilo of prawns are fed into a litre bottle.

Special Assignment

Editorial/Opinion Contents