Sri Lanka: Chronology of Events: February 1988 - August 1992

 

GLOSSARY

EDF        Eelavar Democratic Front

EPRLF    Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front

IPKF       Indian Peace-Keeping Force

JVP         Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna

LSSP       Lanka Sama Samaja Party

LTTE      Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

SLMP     Sri Lanka Mahajana (People's) Party

TNA       Tamil National Army

TULF      Tamil United Liberation Front

UNP        United National Party

USA       United Socialist Alliance

CHRONOLOGY

1988

February

The United Socialist Alliance (USA) is formed by the Sri Lanka Mahajana (People's) Party (SLMP), the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, the Nava Sama Samaja Party, and the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF). In seven provincial council elections, which take place in April and June, the USA emerges as the major opposition to the ruling United National Party (UNP); elections in the Northern and Eastern Provinces are postponed. (Europa 1991 1991, 2447)

May

The government of Sri Lanka offers to lift its five-year ban on the pro-Sinhalese Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in return for an end to terrorism by the group, but the JVP refuses. Later in the month the UNP General Secretary is killed, allegedly by the JVP. By the end of 1988, according to the government, the JVP will have accounted for more than 700 political assassinations. (Ibid.; Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 6)

July

The government of Sri Lanka launches a counter-insurgency against the JVP. Regulation 55 FF authorizes certain police officials to dispose of bodies without inquiry or autopsy. Estimates of deaths and disappearances of Sinhalese suspects in the next two years run in the tens of thousands; many of the bodies are left to burn on roadsides to frighten others. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 6, 16-17; Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 6; Sri Lanka Resource Centre June 1991, 1)

September

The Northern and Eastern Provinces are temporarily merged into one province; the JVP reacts violently, stepping up a campaign of killings, strikes and violent demonstrations. (Europa 1991 1991, 2447; Amnesty International Sept. 1991, 5)

Wijedasa Liyanarachchi, a human rights lawyer associated with the JVP, is killed in police custody. Three officers are charged with the murder in 1990, but are allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges of conspiracy and wrongful confinement, and are given suspended sentences in March 1991. (Human Rights Watch 1992, 464); Amnesty International 1992, 239)

December

The Sri Lankan Parliament amends the 1982 Indemnity Act; the law now covers acts committed "in good faith" by security forces members, government representatives and law and order officers between 1 August 1977 and 11 December 1988. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 17)

A constitutional amendment makes Tamil one of the country's "official" languages, along with Sinhala, as agreed in the 1987 India-Sri Lanka peace accord. (Europa 1991 1991, 2447)

Ranasinghe Premadasa of the UNP is narrowly elected President over Sirimavo Bandaranaike of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). (Ibid.)

1989

January

Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) troops, unable to subdue the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and increasingly implicated in human rights abuses, begin leaving Sri Lanka. (Ibid.)

The government of Sri Lanka repeals the state of emergency, in effect since May 1983, but brings in new security measures to combat the ongoing civil unrest. (Ibid.)

February

In general elections marred by disruptive attacks by the LTTE and the JVP, the UNP wins 125 of 225 seats. The SLFP becomes the main opposition with 67 seats. (Ibid.)

April

The government of Sri Lanka declares a one-week unilateral ceasefire and offers a general amnesty to all militants who give themselves up, as well as representation in Parliament. The offer is rejected by both the JVP and the LTTE, and as a result the IPKF continues its military operations. (AFP 11 Apr. 1989; Ibid. 12 Apr. 1989)

June

Several leading Tamils are assassinated, including Appapillai Amirthalingam, Secretary-General of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), and Kadirkamam Uma Maheswaran, leader of the People's Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). (Europa 1991 1991, 2447)

President Premadasa reimposes a state of emergency, and announces emergency regulations giving all "competent authorities" the power to search, arrest and interrogate without warrant, and to seize vehicles, boats and other objects suspected of being used in criminal activities. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 10; Europa 1991 1991, 2447)

The LTTE announces the cessation of violent acts against the government of Sri Lanka, although not with the IPKF. (Amnesty International Sept. 1991, 6)

July-August

Widespread political killings by the JVP and pro-government paramilitary groups, labour strikes, and a massive government crackdown on alleged "subversives" take

place, largely in the south. The government reports 841 killings "of a political nature" between 16 July and 15 August 1989. (Asiaweek 8 Sept. 1989, 33)

September

Sri Lanka and India sign an agreement in Colombo providing for the withdrawal of the remaining 45,000 Indian troops by the end of December, although the last IPKF troops do not actually leave until March 1990. As a result of the withdrawals, a power struggle ensues between the LTTE and several other Tamil groups, most notably the Tamil National Army (TNA), which was created partly through forced conscription by the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) with aid from the Indian army. (Europa 1991 1991, 2447-2448; Amnesty Internationa Sept. 1991, 6)

November

JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera and his principal deputy, Upatissa Gamanayake, are killed in custody by security forces. By January 1990 the JVP is no longer a political force; thousands of civilians are killed in related violence during the struggle between the JVP and the government. (Europa 1991 1991, 2448; Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 6)

December

Fighting in Northeastern Sri Lanka between the TNA and the LTTE is reported throughout the month. In one of the street battles between the two rival Tamil groups at least 100 people are reported killed. Because of the increasing violence, thousands of people leave their homes and seek refuge in schools and mosques. (Reuters 13 Dec. 1989)

20 December

Despite the loss of its leader, the JVP continues its violent campaign to overthrow the government. Up to 200 youths are reported killed in Hambantota district in the worst day of violence in recent months; the killings are attributed to both the JVP and pro-government paramilitary groups. (Ibid. 21 Dec. 1989)

1990

January

The government announces that people held without charge or trial under emergency regulations will be screened for involvement with the JVP and either charged, released on probation, or, if there is no evidence of involvement but suspicion remains, held for "rehabilitation." According to Amnesty International about 9,000 people are still in detention without trial at the year's end. (Amnesty International 1991, 211)

15 February

Emergency regulation 55 FF is repealed, ending military authority to dispose of bodies without autopsy or inquest. According to Amnesty International, however, remaining emergency regulations still allow security forces members to dispose of bodies clandestinely. (Ibid. 210; Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 16-17)

18 February

Richard de Zoysa, a journalist reporting on human rights issues, is abducted and killed in Colombo. A magisterial inquiry into his death is abandoned in August 1990, even though his mother had identified a senior police officer as an alleged killer. Both de Zoysa's mother and lawyer receive death threats. (Amnesty International 1991, 210; Human Rights Watch 1992, 465; (Country Reports 1991 1992, 1591)

March

The Indian army completes its withdrawal from Sri Lanka. By the time of the withdrawal, the LTTE has reestablished its authority in the Northeast through a campaign to destroy the TNA and other rival Tamil groups in the area. (Europa 1991 1991, 2448)

7 May

Sam Tammbimuttu, a lawyer, human rights activist and Member of Parliament for the EPRLF is shot and killed while leaving the office of the Canadian High Commission. Tammbimuttu had been applying for a visa to travel to Canada to speak about human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The LTTE is suspected in the killing. (ICJ 1991, 107)

11 June

The 14-month peace between the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka is destroyed when the LTTE launches surprise attacks against a number of police stations and military installations, and summarily executes many of the captured Sinhalese and Muslim police officers. As well, the LTTE begins a siege of the fort at Jaffna, where 200 government soldiers are trapped. (Amnesty International Sept. 1991, 7; Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 8; Facts on File 21 Sept. 1990, 709)

The government of Sri Lanka responds by sending troops to the Northeast to wage a counter-insurgency against the LTTE using the same tactics employed against the JVP. By the end of 1990 government figures estimate that more than a million people have been displaced in a renewed refugee crisis. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 9; Amnesty International Sept. 1991, 7; USCR Oct. 1991, 18)

July

The government dissolves the Northeastern Provincial Council, with no plans for holding new elections. (Europa 1991 1991, 2448)

23 July

Eleven Eelavar Democratic Front (EDF) Members of Parliament resign to protest alleged Sri Lankan army atrocities against Tamils in the Northeast. The EDF is the political wing of the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS), closely associated with the LTTE. (Facts on File 24 Aug. 1990, 629; Banks 1991, 636; Degenhardt 1988, 349)

3 August

LTTE militants kill 140 Muslims at prayer in Kathankudy. (Facts on File 24 Aug. 1990, 629)

6 August

A Muslim mob attacks the Tamil village of Thirraikerni, killing 40 people. (Ibid.)

7 August

The Sri Lankan army kills 42 Tamils suspected of involvement in the 3 August massacre of Muslims. (Ibid.)

17 August

The death toll from the civil war reaches 3,350 since the outbreak of fighting in June; at least 2,000 of the dead are civilians. (Ibid.)

August

At the request of Muslim leaders, the government establishes and arms Muslim "home guards" in eastern communities for self-protection. The "home guards" are soon accused of retaliatory killings of Tamils and others in neighbouring villages. (Human Rights Watch 1992, 462)

9 September

Soldiers in several Batticaloa communities force civilians from their homes and bring them to the Boys Town military camp. The men under 60 years of age are separated from the group and killed; 166 women, children and men over 60 years of age "disappear." (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 26)

13 September

The Sri Lankan army breaks a three-month siege by the LTTE of the fort at Jaffna, where 200 soldiers had been trapped since 11 June 1990. (Facts on File 21 Sept. 1990, 709)

26 September

The Sri Lankan army abandons the fort at Jaffna, which proves to be too difficult to hold in the middle of rebel territory. (Facts on File 19 Oct. 1990, 772)

October

The LTTE warns all Muslims in Mannar, Mullaittivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna to leave the area or face death; tens of thousands flee. (Amnesty International 1991, 209)

Amnesty International estimates that between June and October 1990 at least 3,000 Tamils are killed or "disappeared" in Amparai District alone at the hands of security forces. (Ibid., 210)

30 November

The Special Task Force on Human Rights (also known as the Officials' Committee) is created to investigate and reply to international accusations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 20; Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 16)

1991

11 January

Hostilities between the government and the LTTE resume after a brief ceasefire called by the LTTE in late December 1990. The LTTE had claimed to be ready to resume peace talks, but the government accused them of using the lull to consolidate their forces. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 37965)

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Involuntary Removal of Persons is created to investigate disappearances which take place after 11 January 1991. The vast majority of cases submitted relate to disappearances before 11 January, however, and are not investigated. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 21; Human Rights Watch 1992, 463)

30 January

The government of Tamil Nadu in India is dismissed and brought under direct rule by the federal Indian government, in a move seen as an attempt to restrict the activities of Tamil militants and support the government of Sri Lanka. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 37964)

8 February

The newly-formed Mother's Front (MF) announces it has documented over 40,000 disappearances in south and central Sri Lanka in the last three years; the cases include victims of the security forces and the JVP. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38008)

17 February

At least 44 soldiers are killed in an LTTE ambush on Mannar Island. Heavy fighting continues in the region. (Ibid.)

2 March

Deputy Defence Minister Ranjan Wijeratne is killed in a bomb blast in Colombo; 18 others are also killed and 80 are wounded. Wijeratne had spearheaded the campaign to destroy the JVP, and was a major leader in the new campaign against the LTTE. (Facts on File 21 Mar. 1991, 207)

21 April

The government claims control of Mannar Island after heavy fighting. Government figures put the death toll at 950 LTTE guerrillas and 166 security forces' personnel. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38152)

25-29 April

The government claims success in ending the LTTE siege of Karainagar naval base which had been ongoing since 1 April 1991. According to the government, 126 rebels and 31 government soldiers were killed. (Reuters 29 Apr. 1991)

30 April

The government lifts a 5-day curfew in the Jaffna area; on the same day a LTTE ambush kills 45 soldiers. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38392)

3 May

A clearly-marked Médécins sans Frontières vehicle is attacked in Northern Sri Lanka by a government helicopter; four medical staff are injured. (Amnesty International Sept. 1991, 9; Human Rights Watch 1992, 461)

11 May

Local elections are held in all but the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The UNP controls 156 of 194 village councils, 26 of 32 urban councils, and 9 of 10 municipal councils. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38193)

23 May

Rajiv Gandhi, leader of the Indian Congress (I) Party and former Prime Minister of India, is assassinated in a suicide bomb attack by a young Tamil woman at an election rally in Tamil Nadu, India. The LTTE is suspected because of Gandhi's role in sending the IPKF to Sri Lanka in 1987. (Facts on File 23 May 1991, 373; Keesing's 1991 1991, 38175)

11 June

Government troops reportedly kill at least 67 and possibly over 100 Tamil civilians in the village of Kokkaddicholai in Batticaloa District, after two soldiers die in a land mine explosion. An inquiry is held afterwards and 19 soldiers are reportedly arrested. (Human Rights Watch 1992, 462-463; Country Reports 1991, 1595)

21 June

The Defence Ministry operational headquarters in Colombo is bombed in a suicide attack by two men driving a van carrying 70 kg of explosives. Eleven soldiers and 10 civilians are killed, and over 100 are wounded. The attack is attributed to the LTTE, although not claimed by them. Seven suspects are arrested later in July, and in early August N. Varathan, the alleged organizer, reportedly commits suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule to evade arrest. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38393)

27 June

The LTTE is blamed for an attack on a bus travelling from Pottuvil to Colombo. Fourteen passengers were killed when the bus was fired upon after it had stopped because of land-mines. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38393)

28 June

New regulations require all Sri Lankans in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu to register with the government. (USCR Oct. 1991, 27)

10 July

The LTTE masses 5,000-7,000 troops in a major assault on the government-held Elephant Pass, which controls the only road link to the LTTE-held Jaffna peninsula. The government responds by sending in an extra 8,000-10,000 troops and secures the base by early August 1991. The LTTE claims to have lost 500 fighters in the campaign, while the government claims to have killed some 2,500 Tigers. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38392)

12 July

Government troops massacre 150 Tamil civilians in Batticaloa, reportedly in retaliation for the death of six soldiers after a land-mine explosion. President Premadasa publicly apologizes, an official inquiry is launched, and the commanding officer is reportedly suspended and detained. (Ibid., 38393)

20 July

In Tamil Nadu, India, an estimated 2,000 Sri Lankan Tamils are arrested for failing to register with the government. (USCR Oct. 1991, 27)

22 August

LTTE member Sivarasan and six other Tamils commit suicide in Bangalore, India after a three-day siege by police pursuing Sivarasan for allegedly masterminding the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. Sivarasan, possibly also known as Raja Arumainayagan, was reportedly a top LTTE intelligence officer. (Facts on File 22 August 1991, 635)

23 August

The Human Rights Task Force is established to survey the protection of fundamental rights of the detained in Sri Lanka. Although the group has the status of a presidential commission, security authorities are not obliged to inform the Task Force immediately of arrests, transfers and releases of prisoners. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 20; Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 17-19)

30 August

President Premadasa suspends Parliament until 24 September 1991, reportedly to derail an attempt to impeach him. Members of his own ruling UNP had reportedly joined opposition party members in signing a petition of impeachment over alleged corruption and complicity in human rights abuses. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38393; Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 11)

18 September

Premadasa admits that government troops joined forces with the LTTE to fight the Tamil National Army (TNA) after IPKF troops began withdrawing from the Northeast in October 1989. (AFP 19 Sept. 1991)

27 September

Many of the EDF Tamil MPs end their boycott of Parliament, which had started in July 1990. Also, a motion of non-confidence is tabled in Parliament after revelations regarding the government's alliance with the LTTE in late 1989. (Keesing's 1991 1991, 38439)

7 October

President Premadasa blocks an August impeachment motion over the technical issue of the validity of signatures on the petition. (Ibid., 38440)

11 October

A vote of non-confidence is defeated 123 to 85 in Parliament. (Ibid., 38534)

7-18 October

At the government's request, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances visits Sri Lanka. Their subsequent report notes that since 1983 the Working Group has registered over 12,000 cases of disappearances in Sri Lanka, with a significant increase in recent years. (Nations Unies 8 Jan. 1992, 41, 48)

12 December

The government announces that it will accept 30 of 32 recommendations made in Amnesty International's September 1991 report, Sri Lanka -- The Northeast: Human Rights Violations in a Context of Armed Conflict. The government, however, declines to allow the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Involuntary Removal of Persons to investigate disappearances that occurred before 11 January 1991, and to repeal the Indemnity (Amendment) Act of 1988. (Amnesty International 1992, 240-241; Human Rights Watch 1992, 463-464)

December

A conference of Muslims in Colombo calls on the government to secure the release of 36 Muslim businessmen allegedly kidnapped by the LTTE and held for the last year, with ransoms being demanded of up to 5 million rupees (approximately CDN$ 200,000) per hostage. (The Sri Lanka Monitor December 1991)

1992

January

In a marked shift of policy indicative of changing relations, the government of India begins repatriating some 30,000 Sri Lankan Tamils reportedly willing to return to Sri Lanka, although there is concern that some of the returns are not voluntary, and many are returning to regions where fighting continues. There are an estimated 230,000 Sri Lankan Tamils in India. LTTE clashes with government troops increase markedly around the town of Trincomalee to disrupt the arrivals. (Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 13; Inter Press Service 20 March 1992; AFP 29 January 1992; Sri Lanka Resource Centre January 1992, 1-2)

The non-governmental Canadian Human Rights Mission to Sri Lanka releases a report calling for the government to, among other things, reject attempts at a military solution to the conflict in the Northeast, repeal repressive legislation, and make all efforts to "ensure adequate provision of food, medical supplies and fuel to the northern province of Sri Lanka." It also urges the government of Canada to refrain from removing Sri Lankan refugee claimants in Canada. (The Canadian Human Rights Mission to Sri Lanka Jan. 1992, 36-37)

Arrests of JVP suspects continue, with twelve being reported in January 1992. The Human Rights Task Force announces it has individually interviewed 4,475 detainees in police and army camps; other estimates of detainees as a result of the JVP revolt and the northern war run over 15,000. (Sri Lanka Resource Centre Jan. 1992, 2)

31 January

A court in Madras, India charges LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, along with LTTE intelligence chief Pottu Omman, in connection with the May 1991 assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in Tamil Nadu. The two are given until 28 February 1992 to turn themselves in. (Asiaweek 14 February 1992)

February

The army launches a major operation to take control of LTTE territory around Thalaimannar, and around Poornawasakulan, 15 miles northwest of Vavuniya. (Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 13)

26 March

A commission formed to investigate the June 1991 Kokkaddicholai massacre by government soldiers orders compensation of some 5.25 million rupees (approximately CDN$ 210,000) to be paid to next of kin of those who were killed and to people who lost property in the rampage. The commission also recommends prosecution of the soldiers involved. (AFP 24 March 1992)

2 April

The Chairman of the Sri Lankan Rehabilitation Authority announces that over 13,000 Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu have repatriated in the first three months of 1992. (BBC Summary 4 April 1992)

10 April

A bomb explodes in a bus in Amparai, killing about 25 civilians and injuring many others. LTTE militants are suspected. (Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 13)

15 April

A military spokesman reports the deaths of seven civilians in fighting between two rival Tamil groups, the LTTE and the Peoples Liberation Organization of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), in Madur, Batticaloa District. (AFP 15 April 1992)

29 April

At least 54 people are killed when LTTE rebels attack the Muslim village of Alanchipothana in Polonnaruwa District. Some hours later, Muslim "home guards," reportedly accompanied by security forces personnel, kill over 80 Tamils in the nearby villages of Muthugal and Karapola. (Amnesty International June 1992, 1)

May

India suspends the Sri Lankan repatriation programme after protests from the UNHCR about increasing instances of forcible return. Some 23,000 refugees had been repatriated since January 1992. Also cited in the decision are ongoing security concerns and bad weather in the Palk Strait. Repatriations are expected to continue in September. (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1992c)

14 May

A year after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the government of India formally bans the LTTE, charging the group with conspiring to separate Tamil Nadu. Twenty LTTE suspects are detained, and two bomb explosions in Tamil Nadu cause two deaths. (The Sri Lanka Monitor May 1992)

18 May

Tamil politicians and local leaders report the deaths of 23 Tamils in Mullaitivu after a mortar attack reportedly destroys a Hindu temple. Some days later the government appoints a three-member committee to investigate the incident, which comes amidst an escalating army offensive to isolate the Jaffna peninsula. (AFP 22 May 1992)

31 May

Asia Watch releases the report Human Rights Accountability in Sri Lanka that welcomes government-initiated reforms in building human rights accountability, including the creation of such agencies as the Special Task Force, the Human Rights Task Force, and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Involuntary Removal of Persons, but stresses that in practice state protection of nationals and a true system of ensuring accountability in cases of human rights abuses are still far from being achieved. (Asia Watch 31 May 1992, 50)

2 June

LTTE rebels kill more than 15 Muslims, as well as a young Tamil who refused to leave, and wound 25 others in an attack on a bus in Amparai District. Two weeks later Tamil passengers on the Batticaloa-Colombo train defy LTTE gunmen and protect the lives of 100 Muslims on board. (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1992a)

9 June

The LTTE disbands its political wing, the People's Front of Liberation Tigers (PFLT), in the face of the mounting government offensive on the Jaffna peninsula. Fallback jungle headquarters are reportedly set up. (Xinhua 9 June 1992)

28 June

A massive offensive by the Sri Lankan army succeeds in cutting off the last civilian exit route from Jaffna peninsula, through Chundikulam. Heavy shelling of Jaffna city and other civilian areas continues, as does a strict blockade from both the Indian and Sri Lankan sides. A quarter of Jaffna's population of one million is estimated to be internally displaced, and the LTTE conducts increased recruiting to fill manpower shortages. Many of the LTTE fighters are said to be only 12 or 13 years old. (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1992b; Xinhua 22 June 1992)

7 July

Ten Tamil men are reportedly "tried" and executed by the LTTE in the northern village of Omanthai. The men were suspected of spying for the rival Tamil group PLOTE. (AFP 7 July 1992)

11 July

LTTE guerrillas kill 46 soldiers at Katupotha military base adjoining the borders of Mannar and Vavuniya Districts. The attack comes in the midst of an ongoing assault by 6,000 government troops attempting to seize control of Jaffna peninsula. (AFP 11 July 1992)

15 July

LTTE militants attack a bus at Kirankulam, near Batticaloa, killing 19 Muslim passengers and wounding five others. (Xinhua 16 July 1992)

21 July

LTTE militants stop a train bound for Colombo, separate out the Muslim passengers and kill six of them 25 km north of Batticaloa. Sri Lankan army and police announce they will increase their patrols between Muslim and Tamil villages. (Xinhua 22 July 1992)

30 July

Canada, the United States and France pledge to donate US$ 1 million through the UNHCR to assist in the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees in the south of India. The government of Sri Lanka announces plans to recommence the repatriation programme shortly. (BBC Summary 4 August 1992; Inter Press Service 27 July 1992)

8 August

An LTTE land mine explodes in the midst of a military convoy on Katys Island off the Jaffna Peninsula, killing ten senior Sri Lankan military officers, including the commander of operations against the LTTE, Major-General Denzil Kobbekaduwa, and the Jaffna security forces commander, Brigadier Vijaya Vimalaratne. (Far Eastern Economic Review 20 Aug. 1992, 10-11; Time 24 Aug. 1992, 10-11)

9 August

At least 21, and possibly as many as 35 Tamils are killed by unidentified attackers in an eastern village in Batticaloa District. The army claims the attackers were Muslims, but the LTTE blames the army for the attack, claiming it came in retaliation for the 8 August deaths of senior military officers. The military announces that an inquiry will take place. (UPI 10 Aug. 1992; AFP 13 Aug. 1992; Far Eastern Economic Review 20 Aug. 1992, 10-11; Time 24 Aug. 1992, 10-11)

15 August

LTTE guerrillas reportedly kill at least six policemen in an ambush in Amparai District. (AFP 15 Aug. 1992)

20 August

The Sri Lankan army launches operation "Earthquake," a major offensive against the LTTE to capture the Jaffna peninsula. The offensive was reportedly first set for 10 August, but had to be postponed after the 8 August LTTE landmine explosion. (AFP 20 Aug. 1992; Xinhua 22 Aug. 1992a)

22 August

Government troops reportedly capture the rebel sea base of Madagal on the northeast coast of the Jaffna peninsula. Civilian casualties are reported to be low, according to the military, and an urgent request is made to Colombo to supply milk and food for children. (Xinhua 22 Aug. 1992a; Ibid. 22 Aug. 1992b)

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Inter Press Service. 27 July 1992. "Sri Lanka: India to Restart Repatriating Tamil Refugees." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service. 20 March 1992. Rita Sebastian. "Sri Lanka: First Phase of Repatriation Completed." (NEXIS)

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Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific. February 1991. The Long Road to Jaffna: The Situation of Sri Lanka's Tamil Refugees. Bangkok: Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific.

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Nations Unies, Conseil Economique et Social, Commission des Droits de l'Homme. 8 January 1992. (E.CN.4/1992/18/Add.1). Rapport sur la visite à Sri Lanka de trois membres de Groupe de travail sur les disparitions forcées ou involontaires (7-18 octobre 1991).

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Quid 1991. 1990. Dominique and Michèle Fremy. Paris: éditions Robert Laffont.

Reuters. 29 April 1991. Dalton De Silva. "Sri Lanka's Military Claims Success in Anti-Rebel Offensive." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 21 December 1989. "At Least 200 Killed in Sri Lanka's Worst Day of Violence." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 13 December 1989. Feiza Samath. "At Least 100 Killed in Sri Lankan Clashes." (NEXIS)

Senewiratne, Brian. 1986. Human Rights Violations in Sri Lanka. Wynnum, Australia: Dr. B. Senewiratne.

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. June 1992a. "Batticaloa Strikes Back."

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. June 1992b. "The Battle for Jaffna."

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. June 1992c. "Repatriation Programme Suspended after UN Protest."

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. May 1992. "India Outlaws LTTE."

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. December 1991. "Muslims Held to Ransom in Jaffna."

Sri Lanka Resource Centre. January 1992. Sri Lanka: Update on Ethnic Conflict and Human Rights; Situation Report, Events and an Accession List of January 1992. Oslo, Norway: Sri Lanka Resource Centre.

Sri Landa Resource Centre . June 1991. Special Report on Disappearances and Human Rights Violations in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. Oslo, Norway: Sri Lanka Resource Centre.

Schwartz, Walter. 1986. The Tamils of Sri Lanka. London: Minority Rights Group.

Time [New York]. 24 August 1992. "Blow for Blow: The Murder of the Tamil Tigers' Top Enemy Brings Bloody Retribution."

United Press International (UPI). 10 August 1992. "Attackers Allegedly Kill 21 Tamil Civilians." (NEXIS)

U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR). October 1991. Sri Lanka: Island of Refugees. Washington: USCR.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1991. 1992. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 22 August 1992a. "Sri Lankan Government Troops Capture Key Sea Rebel Base." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 22 August 1992b. "40 Tamil Rebels Killed in Northern Sri Lanka." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 22 July 1992. "Army Intensifies Patrols in Eastern Sri Lanka." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 16 July 1992. "Sri Lankan Muslims Condemn Rebel Killings." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 22 June 1992. "Sri Lankan Tamil Rebels Face Severe Manpower Shortage." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 9 June 1992. "Sri Lankan Tamil Rebels Disband Political Wing." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service (Xinhua). 15 February 1992. "Sri Lankan Tamil Rebels Impose Curfew in Jaffna." (NEXIS)