The Jungle Telegraph

Gunfire heralds New Year in City HSZ
Perhaps the silence in the battlefields of the North and East contributed in large measure. The burst of crackers in the City was much noisier than in past years when New Year 2003 dawned at midnight Tuesday.

Adding to the sounds and bursts heralding the birth of this third year in the new millennium, in one of City's High Security Zones, were volleys of rapid fire from Chinese built T-56 assault rifles.

It came from weapons issued to the bodyguards of a northern politician living in the Summit Flats. They were in good seasonal spirits. The men emptied the magazines of their rifles, meant to protect their boss, in rapid fire within seconds.

How they could account for the ammunition is not clear. The bullets saved during peacetime seem to be wasted on revelry. Crackers were much cheaper.

The year end admission
The disclosure came during the Sri Lanka Rupavahini, the national television network's review of notable events during the past year, 2002.

They showed footage of weapons found after Police raided the Army's Safe House at Athurugiriya on January 2, last year.

The accompanying commentary declared that following this raid, the Army was forced to halt operations of its Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRRPs).

That indeed is the closest official account of the truth behind the Safe House, though it came two days short of a year after the incident.

Top Thai general due

Whilst Government and Tiger guerrillas talk peace in Thailand, the kingdom's Supreme Commander, General Surayud Chulanont, arrives in Colombo today.

He will attend a passing out parade of the Army in Diyatalawa and be entertained to dinner by Army Commander, Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, tomorrow.

The head of the Royal Thai Armed Forces will also call on President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Expert on accuracy and percentages

When his mobile phone rang last Tuesday morning, Defence Secretary Austin Fernando, was in the conference room at the Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna - an air conditioned hall from where many an important military operation in the North has been directed. Even if guns have been silenced after the ceasefire, the maps and charts on the walls reminds one of the tense drama that has gone on there.

Minister Milinda Moragoda was chairing a conference of senior Security Forces officers on the contentious issue of High Security Zones.

Phone in hand, Mr. Fernando walked up to a far corner to engage the caller. It seemed a high security issue of different sorts.

He answered queries from the caller, who it turned out, was a retired bureaucrat now serving a top slot. He was calling from a secure office in Colombo.

Responding to questions, Mr Fernando insisted…."Sir, it’s not me or the Navy Commander who gave him the information… He reports things and 80 per cent of them come right…"

Whom was he referring to? A scribe from The Sunday Times of course. The man was identified. So was the report in question - the LTTE weapons ship in the deep seas off the north-east.

Why inquiries were made hurriedly from Colombo is not clear. However, one of those at the conference asked his colleague somewhat jovially "why did he say only 80 per cent of them came right?" Retorted the colleague "That relates to references made to him (the Defence Secretary)." They laughed at each other.

Unwelcome in Jaffna but welcome at home

Even if he demanded the immediate transfer of Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, Maj. Gen. Sarath Fonseka, UNF's Minister for Hindu Religious Affairs T. Maheswaran, could not but play host to the top most military man in Jaffna. He dished out kool, porridge made of many varieties of seafood, the root of the palmyrah tree (kotta kilangu) and served him liberally with rice, prawns, cuttle fish and vegetables. There was also ripe jak fruit (varaka), mangoes and bananas for desert.

Even if he was not welcome by Mr. Maheswaran in Jaffna, he was most welcome in his home.

Minister Milinda Moragoda, who was on a visit to Jaffna last Tuesday asked Maj. Gen. Fonseka to accompany him for lunch at Mr. Maheswaran's.Later on the same day, Mr. Maheswaran forecast in a New Year message that 2003 would be "an year of achievement" for Sri Lankans.

He not only showered praise on Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, but also described LTTE chief, Velupillai Prabhakaran, as "the Tamil National Leader."

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