Colombo, June 19: Opposition MPs today smuggled in a coffin to the Sri Lankan Parliament to protest government inaction to deal with a rising wave of crime and political killings. Legislators dressed in black instead of their regular white clothing created a din in the assembly forcing Speaker Joseph Michael Perera to suspend sittings for an hour, officials said. They said that the opposition MP's had brought the small coffin in knocked down form and probably assembled it inside the tightly guarded Parliament building.

It was second breach of security within a month. Earlier, opposition MP's brought a wreath of flowers usually taken for funerals.

The opposition is blaming the government for failing to maintain law and order and a spate of killings by Tamil Tiger guerrillas.
Bureau Report