The President assured them that the Government would take stern action against JVP or any opposition activists if they tried to destabilise the economy. Annan avoids Lanka Sri Lanka has been left out of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's first official tour to South Asia. Mr. Annan is expected to visit India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal in late March-early April. But Sri Lanka is not in his itinerary. All four countries have formally invited Mr. Annan.
Government launches Op.
In the backdrop of a lull in the battlefields, the Government has launched a new operation in the Jaffna peninsula to solicit public complaints of human rights violations including disappearances. In an unprecedented move, appeals are being made through the Jaffna-based Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation's Tamil beam, calling upon the public to register complaints with a CID team now stationed in the northern capital. CID chief Punya de Silva flew to Jaffna to facilitate the working of the team headed by Assistant Superintendent A.M.S. Abeysinghe. During the first day of its operations, the special unit received 35 complaints from civilians in Point Pedro area. During its second day, in the Jaffna town, it received 43 complaints.