Curfew disrupts New Year mass in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 31 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Christians in Jaffna were disappointed today that the traditional midnight mass on the eve of 1998 could not be held. The mass will be in the morning tomorrow.

The midnight mass cannot be held because of the curfew which is enforced in the peninsula now.

"The army did not think of lifting it for our benefit" a Catholic priest said.

Army sources, however, said that the matter was not considered at all because there was no official request from the church for lifting the curfew tonight for the benefit of church goers in Jaffna.

Some sources in Jaffna town said the church was not keen to ask the army to lift the curfew in view of the prevailing security situation.