In brief

Hartley students protest
Students of Hartley College in Pt. Pedro yesterday staged demonstration yesterday to protest against Monday's attack on their principal.

The Principal who is warded told police he suspected that the head of the OBA was linked to the attack for reasons connected with the LTTE.

"Put out into the deep"
Thousands of people from various parts of Colombo participated in a three day convention at St. Lawrence's Church in Wellawatte on the theme,"Put out into the deep." The convention was conducted by Rev. Dr. Augustine Vallooran, spiritual director of the Chalakkudy based Divine Retreat Centre. Praise and worship was led by two of Asia's top young Catholic gospel singers Glen and Teresa. Pic by Manoj Ratnayake.

SWRD 's statue damaged
By Kurulu Kariyakarawana
The statue of the late Prime Minister S W R D Bandaranaike at the Beruwala town was damaged by separating its head from the body on Tuesday pre-dawn by two unidentified suspects who had fled after the incident.

A witness at a night cafe had seen two persons engaged in something suspicious near the statue and when he rushed to enquire the persons fled. The head was knocked off from its body and right hand was damaged severely. OIC Beruwala Abeyratne Dissanayake told the Daily Mirror the reason for the act was not evident yet and teams from three police stations were called upon to apprehend the absconding vandalizers.

LTTE cadres cross through South
Army provided full security to 281 LTTE cadres from Batticaloa to visit their relations in the North to travel to Wanni via Omanthai yesterday.

The LTTE cadres started the journey yesterday morning at 7.15 a.m. from the 'Black Bridge' at Valaichchenai and the convoy consisted of five buses and a cab.

Prior to embarking on the journey they were subjected to a thorough check by members of the SLMM to see whether they were carrying arms. All of them were in civilian clothes.

They had been checked again when they reached the end of their journey.

This trip was made in terms of the MoU between the LTTE and the government. This is the first time that LTTE cadres used a route in the South to travel to the North.

This was due to the rough seas prevalent at present and the LTTE has obtained permission from the Defence Ministry.

CEB token strike switched off
By Munza Mushtaq
A threat by two big unions of the Ceylon Electricity Board to stage a token strike on Friday was called off yesterday after Minister Karu Jayasuriya intervened.

Technological Engineers Union spokesperson K. Senaratne said they had decided to put off the strike for two weeks after the minister agreed to appoint a committee to probe why promotions were delayed for years despite cabinet approval.

Mr. Senaratne said the minister had assured a just solution within two weeks and they would review the situation after that. He charged that some vested interest in the CEB had sabotaged the promotions.

The Electrical, Mechanical and Civil Superintendents Union has also been planning to join the proposed strike.

Vernon Corea dies
Vernon Corea passed away on Sunday at the age of 75 in London.

He was a renowned Radio personality who joined the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon during its formative years under the first Director, Commercial Service, Mr. Clifford R. Dodd.

He rose to the position of Director, News before he migrated to the UK in the year 1975. He joined the BBC and served for many years as Ethnic Programmes Advisor.

Many will remember him for his wit and humour which was often an integral and spontaneous part of his presentations both in the studio and on stage.

He is the brother of the Editor of the 'Daily News' and later Sri Lanka's Ambassador in the USA, Ernest Corea. He is the son of the late Revd. Canon Ivan Corea.

Information sought for safe house probe
By Leary Beekmeyer
The public has been requested to give information regarding the safe house operated by the Sri Lanka Army at Millennium City, Athurugiriya.

The Commission of Inquiry appointed by the President to inquire into the disclosure of the existence of an army safe house and the raid conducted on it, is headed by Justice Dharmasiri Jayawickrama, retired Judge of the Court of Appeal. Mr. Edmund Jayasuriya is the Secretary.

The office of the Commissioner is in room 2-104 of the BMICH and written representations be addressed to the Secretary under registered cover.

Any person who is desirous of giving evidence in camera may also make an application to the Secretary in writing. - (LB)

Cashew firm's forest link raises queries
By Damitha Hemachandra
A cashew plantation project which was moved from Wilachchiya in Anuradhapura district in the face of opposition from local authorities is to be set up in Puttalam - but again it has come under fire.

A private company was to set up the project in 1000 hectares of land in the Wilachchiya forest, which is covered with valuable trees such as satinwood and ebony and is also inhabited by wild elephants. But the project was shifted from there after the Forest Department and local authorities refused to grant permission.

Environmental groups, including the Environment Foundation Limited, claim that the company is now planning to set up the project in 1000 hectares of land in a Puttalam forest which is an elephant corridor and warn that the project will aggravate the man-elephant conflict. These groups raise a question as to why the company is keen on going for forest land when thousands of acres of abandoned cashew land were available in the country.

A Forest Department official said the project could not be started in Puttalam without the permission of the Department. He said no such request has been made from department while a Puttalam Divisional Secretariat official said the proposal was still under consideration.

High handed radio
By Ranga Sirilal
The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) yesterday halted a private radio station from broadcasting through telecommunication frequencies.

A private telecommunication company has complained to the TRC about frequencies allocated to them being used for radio broadcasting by a private radio station.

Its customers had brought to the notice of the telecommunication company the disturbances on their phones and later complained to the TRC.

The private radio station had allegedly used the telecommunication frequencies allotted to the private telecommunication company for their point-to-point broadcasting, an official of the telecommunication company said.- (RS)

CMC Deputy Mayor to file objections
The Court of Appeal granted time till October 11, to file objections on behalf of Azath Sally when the writ application challenging his election to the Colombo Muncipal Council was taken up yesterday.

The petitioner is Mohamed Hafi. The petitioner had cited Deputy Mayor Azath Sally, Election Commissioner and several others as respondents. The petitioner stated that the Deputy Mayor is a resident of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte and has no authority to hold office as a Councillor or Deputy Mayor in the Colombo Muncipal Council under the Local Government Act .