SLA curfew subdues festivities in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 December 2006, 16:56 GMT]
Christian parish priests in Jaffna peninsula requested Friday their parish members to observe Christmas and New Year festivities in a quiet manner at their homes with their neighbours because of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) all night curfew imposed on the peninsula and the risks involved. Special Christmas and New Year Church services including mid night Christmas mass celebrating the birth of infant Jesus have been postponed, Christian sources said.

The price of eggs in the peninsula have increased eight fold from the usual price of Rs.6 to nearly 50 rupees and ingredients for cake making such as sugar and margarine are hard to get, civilian sources complained.

Meanwhile, the church organizations ridiculed Friday's announcement by the Sri Lankan Government that 10,000 eggs have been air lifted from Colombo for distribution in the peninsula for Christmas season, describing this move as a propaganda ploy.

An atmosphere of gloom prevails in the peninsula as its people remain in their homes during the festive season.