COLOMBO, Aug. 7, Reuter: Detained Tamil rebel suspects will be released secretly in the wake of last week’s Indian sponsored peace agreement because of fears for their party, the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry says.
A spokesman said last night it was decided to free nearly 4,000 detainees in batches “as secretively as possible” in case of reprisals from majority Sinhalese.
They would be sent to Tamil areas in the north and east of the Island, he said.
“We don’t want to release them where they might meet a hostile reception from the population,” he added. In a nationwide radio and television address last night President Junius Jayewardene said
“We have stopped the killings in the north and east. Why should they now continue in the south?” he asked, referring to Sinhalese protests which greeted the accord. At least 74 people were killed in noting after the agreement was announced.
The government ordered the release of about 3,800 suspected rebels after Tamil guerrillas surrendered their weapons on Wednesday, marking an end to the four-year conflict between Tamils and ‘Sinhalese in which 6,000 people have been killed:
Leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrilla Movement said the peace pact signed by New Delhi and Colombo was forced on them by India, the dominant power in the Region.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 14, 1987
