Sri Lanka Peace Flexes Its Muscle

By Howard G. Chua-Eoan

It was a moment of anger and frustration for Vellupillai Prabakaran, leader of Sri Lanka's separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas. Speaking before some 70,000 members of the country's Tamil minority on the grounds of a Hindu temple in the Jaffna peninsula, the rebel leader promised that his 3,500 followers would hand over their arms to Indian peacekeeping forces that had started streaming into the north and east of the country five days earlier. The vast assembly cheered in approval, barely listening as Prabakaran added bitterly, "We do not accept this accord. But, because India is a powerful country, we are unable to do anything about it. I don't think it will be a lasting solution."

Sri Lanka's 16 million people were divided about the surprise peace agreement signed on July 29 by their President Junius R. Jayewardene and Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Despite the rebel rancor, the country's Tamils, 2 million strong, welcomed what they hoped was the end to a civil war that had claimed 6,000 lives since 1983 and threatened to tear Sri Lanka apart along ethnic lines. The 12 million Sinhalese, however, were enraged at the agreement, which grants local rule to two northern and eastern provinces heavily populated by Tamils. After an initial spate of rioting, the Sinhalese calmed down. But how long will the uneasy peace last?

Much will depend on the Tigers, many of them originally armed and trained in India's nearby Tamil Nadu state. The rebels, who still hope to establish a separate Tamil nation, promised to lay down their weapons only to avoid confrontation with the 7,000 Indian troops who are enforcing the agreement. An amnesty for rebels and Tamil prisoners took effect last week. Even so, compliance with the surrender seemed halfhearted. At a Jaffna air base, Sri Lankan officials received six truckloads of guerrilla weaponry, including .50- cal. machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles and homemade mortars. But the arms dump was also salted with rusty rifles and shells the Tigers would probably never use. The final turn-in rate might be as low as 40%. In that case, the Indian army may launch operations to ferret out hidden weapons.

For their part, many Sinhalese are nervous at the enormous influence that New Delhi has now gained over Sri Lankan affairs. Indian air force planes are now a common sight at virtually every major Sri Lankan airport. The commander of the Indian peacekeeping force pops up regularly for interviews on Sri Lankan television and in newspapers. Even some Tamils are beginning to grumble that the Indians look like an invading force.

For Gamini Dissanayake, a senior minister in President Jayewardene's government, the peace agreement merely "amounts to a recognition that we are living next door to a very powerful and complex country." The pact must still be ratified by Sri Lanka's Parliament, currently in recess. Dissanayake predicts that Jayewardene's majority United National Party will support the pact. Just to be sure, the canny President was said to be considering a delay in the recall of Parliament until at least mid-September. That would allow inflamed passions on the balmy island to cool further, and thereby give peace, Sri Lankan-style, a better chance.

With reporting by Qadri Ismail and Ross H. Munro/Jaffna